Best Growers Poems
Crisp end of winter morning,
my shovel digs the soil,
turning over weeds and worms,
and watch them twist and coil …
hoe the dirt once more again,
until a soft and silky bed,
then plant seeds, where once grew weeds,
and grow vegetables instead.
Watch out for snails!
Watch out for slugs!
Watch out for earwigs!
Watch out for harlequin bugs!
In two weeks or a little more,
shoots of green grow from the seeds,
now fighting for their patch of ground,
but a little later than - the weeds.
And so I’m down upon my knees,
working out what plant is what;
making sure carrot and parsnip,
are growers in this garden plot.
Watch out for sparrows!
Watch out for silver eyes!
Watch out for blackbirds!
Watch out for magpies!
Summer sun and drying winds;
summer storms with chance of hail.
Caterpillars, thrips and aphis,
do their best to have me fail,
but murder - mayhem travel well,
with snail bait, dusts and poison spray,
scarecrows, nets and old wine casks,
to keep marauding birds at bay.
Watch out for virus’!
Watch out for rot!
Watch out for mildew!
Watch out for black spot!
Late summer, autumn and the plants
are looking rather worn.
The leaves are dry, stems are dead,
as nature typifies her scorn,
for death will come with winter cold,
but thankfully the harvest flesh,
has been worth the season trials,
to dine on garden fresh.
We ask God’s blessings for food we eat;
those who toil to grow it deserve our prayers too.
In 1985, Farm Aid musicians took their beat,
rocking in donations for those who grew
in debt, not just crops, as mortgages came due.
Mellencamp cried out, “97 families lost 97 farms!”
Just the local tally of the Reagan years' unprecedented foreclosures
that threatened the nation’s bread baskets, sending out alarms.
Farmers’ financial disclosures
were bloodied by high-risk exposures.
We ate the fruit, but cursed the price.
Bounty still filled the market’s produce section,
even as running a farm became a roll of the dice.
A Kansas tornado would have had less convection
than growers who were denied debt protection.
Bailout money was tossed to the auto maker,
where corporate jet vacations sparked ire.
But farmer suicides climbed, blood on each acre.
A national famine might have transpired
if to save farmers, rock musicians had not conspired.
Inspired by John Mellencamp’s Farm Aid song “Rain on the Scarecrow.” An Indiana farm boy, Mellencamp recruited Neil Young and Willie Nelson to organize the first Farm Aid concert in 1985, raising awareness about the loss of family farms. The Farm Aid concerts have remained an annual event over the past 29 years, and as of 2014, the organization has raised over $45 million to help farmers. I chose this song because it demonstrates the social consciousness of rock musicians.
Song is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joNzRzZhR2Y
*Poem written November 8, 2014 for Kelly's "I Love Rock and Roll Contest.
Exuding purity, while honour bestowing
“Sampaguita” I am, my country’s national flower
Jasminum sambac --- such is my scientific name
beautifully functional with my fragrance
oozing through a branded perfume.
With my God-endowed economic potential
I’m sought to provide livelihood opportunities
since leis and garlands produced out of my being
help build-up entrepreneurs in our community
as well as growers, showing resilience and patience.
Modesty aside, I’m an inspiration to many artists:
poets exalt my sublime scent and accolade-granting petals
sculptors have me accentuated, like in my ceremonial torch feature
singers express serenade-lyrics, comparing me to a virgin
painters exhibit my adornment impact.
Symbolizing graceful simplicity and sacredness
my optimization is offered to the Almighty
Who blesses fully my sweet existence beyond survival bliss
as I yield to Him my all, while worshipping Him
with my biblical fellow flowers, rose of Sharon, and lily of the valleys.*
*Song of Solomon 2:1 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
February 2, 2021
Chosen image: "If I were a flower..."
1st place, "If I Were A (Flower)? Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Mystic Rose Rose; judged on 2/4/2021.
7/20/19
"I'll be your Joker"
Still a registered voter
Signed up to be an organ donor
And finally became a car owner
I rarely use a controller
When it's time, I'll man up and buy a stroller
As well as panels that are solar
Near and far from areas that are polar
Doesn't matter if I ever get a Range Rover
Or Roadster
I'm barely ever sober
Always been a loner
And stoner
3 months away from another October
If you want to be my Harley Quinn, I'll be your "Joker"
Not no poser
Where are you Scully? This is agent Mulder
Anytime you want, I'll be your shoulder
To lean on
From here to way beyond
For eons
Where's my Marge? I am Homer
I'll be your rock over and over
Since I've gotten nobler
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder
I've seen it so much, I could compile a folder
Life's one giant rollercoaster
It's really revving my motor
All these women giving me a b***r
And then the cold shoulder
As if I am an ogre
I remain a soldier
Drinking high end coffee, no more Folgers
Getting wiser and older
Becoming bolder
As the world gets colder
I'm not feeling dolor
Just multi tasking, while a fire continues to smoulder
Maintaining my composure
Finding closure
Getting closer
To greatness instead of being mediocre
I enjoyed the work I did with several growers
As well as trapping some gophers
Occasionally I'll partake in poker
Even though I'm not the best hoaxer
Once or twice I used a fire stoker
When it came to Mary Jane, I was a doter
A fan of it's fragrance, it's not what I'd call an odor
I consume some products made by Clover
And am usually in places considered remoter
It's time I get a toaster and holster
I don't really need a Flame Thrower
Or to get my face on a most wanted poster
Suit yourself if you want to wear a boater
Or choker
Houses in continual foreclosure
Not always wise to go for the price that is lower
Someday my mind and body will be slower
And one day it'll all be over
10-4 over and out
And now you know, what i'm really about
Not just by word of mouth
As they say don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Regardless of if you had your doubts
By: Dalton Ogletree
Forget the world and listen to your heart.
No one really cares whether close or apart.
Only you only you can change yourself,
Be the golden novel chosen from old book shelf.
The indiviual created by providence is only you,
Show this to all not in a sense even one could have a clue.
Just ponder over your capabilities,
Strive on your failures taking them as your casualties.
Work till as it gonna lasts forever,
live as today only was the last rain of life shower.
Keep friends close bt enemies closer,
Fight with friends but have sympathy for rival growers.
The day u reach at the top,
Just come back with a next better hope.
Night when you will fall down,
Wake up; smile with the mother earth brown.
Don't teach anyone a way to live life ,
No one actually needs your guide.
Life is as easy as you think,
Have the patience with which you can stand still.
To live in ,heart is the best room,
Dont wait for a bride or a groom.
My heart listens and comprehends me very well,
Then why didn't i try to leave this world of hell.
Far as the Politics and this is my voice
Medical Marijuana is the right choice
Even though that road is no longer for me
It serves a purpose and that’s clear to see
Convicts are growers as it thins out the pen
Offering the players a game they can win
It’s true; home invasions may be on the rise
As smoke from the pot fills up our skies
Children of growers will grow up and use
Trying hard to fill up their parent’s shoes
We work, pay taxes, they rake in the cash
Everybody’s looking for some kind of stash
My stash is my daughter she is also my pride
From her there are no actions I would ever hide
There are two little feet that are following me
Eyes as beautiful and innocent as two eyes can be
Those eyes look at me like I’m Robert De Niro
I’m not just her daddy I’m that little girls hero
Because, I made the changes a man makes in life
I made them for my children and also my wife
I’m at the top of my class and like it or not
I wouldn’t be here, sitting around smoking pot
The Lord is my Shepherd my wife is my friend
Each lets me know there are rules I can’t bend
I talked it over with the Lord and my wife
Everything bad comes with that way life
We no longer choose to wear addicts shoes
But you be our guest go right ahead and use
I bear no animosity I will hold no grudge
I may be a Christian but I am no Judge
Aside from all the Politics this is my voice
I know growing pot is not the right choice
Medical Marijuana is an issue that I have
friends on each side of the table. I think
each side has many valid points. i think
it's an issue that will never be resolved
because the two sides see things very
differently. I have far to much to live
for to sit around high. But then again,
who am I to judge.
Elderly man’s fishing net hangs in his shed
The fish he caught in his backyard stream multiply
Net use was banned; he couldn’t afford a pole
Joy and sustenance gone, a tear falls from his eye
House Bill 875 would ban backyard farms
Forcing vegetable growers to invest cash
In overpriced produce on supermarket shelves
Uncle Sam flexes his muscle, makes his whip lash
The right to freely worship is endangered
As prayer is prohibited in public schools
Government intrusion invades all our lives
Public pleas are not heard by those who make rules
Freedom to choose our doctors is now threatened
Socialized medicine diminishes choice
Speech censorship? Just ask the Smothers Brothers
Who canceled their own show with a stifled voice
As crime escalates, look to the constitution
The NRA spends billions to protect Americans' rights
To bear arms against oppressors while thieves laugh
And sue owners of homes invaded in the night
Can this be what our forefathers had in mind
When they sought to escape a king’s tyranny?
Our rights are being limited more each day
In a nation spawned to promote liberty
Natural disasters prelude Judgment Day
Eerie escalation – tsunamis, earthquakes
But perhaps when the dust finally settles
Those who survive will learn from our past mistakes
Governments will form only to preserve peace
Not to strip away rights ancestors pursued
Don’t blink! Precious freedoms are now endangered
By those who feel they’re elected to intrude
Cycle of life
Ring of length in a circuit
Circle of life
Wing of strength in a conduit
Flow of life vibrates and pricks
Electricity you can feel in needles and sticks
A game of a life-winning prize
A frame displayed in a live, lifting size
Cycle of life in you that charges and chime
Tracks of moving rings that hinges, not grime
Girdle of life that showers and embrace
Dwindling up and down like growers of God's grace
Circling the tree of life is your power
Power of cyclone that defines the tower
Tower of faith, hope and light
Light coruscant in the heat of the night
Cycle of life that grows in you
Rhythm in a wheel, spinning in loops and never halt in you
Natures gift in the shape of her vine
Planted with care, line after line
By the grace of our sun
Their growth has begun
In ripeness below her sunshine
We harvest her grapes, turned to wine
Growers experiences, know her signs
From her graft to their trade
In the grape is it's grade
Maturity is it's moment in time
To the table her results are defined
We indulge in our culinary dine
Us hosts in satisfy
Wanting palets in comply
As our tastes are in joint combine
For Francine's - Bottle of Wine contest - ( fruit of the vine, when........)
The tulips and daffodils
have bloomed en masse,
in the surrounding fields.
The tourists who came to
enjoy them, have gone away.
March and April brought
excitement to our ordinarily
placid lives, but we are glad
to get back to normalcy.
May is almost here and will
undoubtedly bring warmer days.
Our gardens will take over
the spotlight and the big fields
will be populated with large
farm machinery busily working
up the ground and with famers
planting other, less exotic crops.
It is a relief to be able
to take a quick dash to town
for groceries or supplies
without being held up by
clogged roads from the
cars of expectant visitors.
Our spring was exceptionally
early this year and many of
the flower hungry tourists
came too late to see them
in their highest glory.
Indeed, some of the blooms
had been topped already
by the diligent bulb growers.
In our yards and gardens,
lilacs are in bloom,
rhododendrons and azaleas
are coming into their full beauty
and perennial and annual baskets
are decorating our homes.
Peonies and Asiatic poppies
are blazing in the sun.
Our valley is still beautiful
and you are invited
to come again for a more
relaxed and less frantic visit.
Written: 4/25/16
https://m.soundcloud.com/user-921599710/fruit-a-peel-2
Blueberries, bananas, apples that fall
Berries and pears, we love them all
Fresh rainwater, summer heat
The part of plants that we can eat
Inside the fruit, contains the seeds
Found on bushes, grown on trees
Tomato plants, of heights will rise
With soil and compost, fertilise
Seeds we scatter, seeds we sow
All around the world they grow
Celebrate at food events
Cities, countries, continents
Supermarkets, stalls be manned
Frozen, dried, fresh or canned
Varied fruits ripen with time
Fresh fruit salad, shall we dine
A complement of any meal
Fruits to blend and fruits to peel
Expectations to surpass
Blended poured into a glass
Garden fruit and fruit in tins
Daily fibre, vitamins
Large vineyards, where growers take
From tiny buds, to blossomed grape
Strawberry smoothie, raspberry jam
Tomato sandwich, cheese and ham
Assembled fruit upon the plate
Master-chef provide your rate
Written by Geraldine Taylor ©
Vertically they have gone to see the horizon
dividing into two parallel paths of iron and stone
nor to return or to encounter
sometimes, only crease cross
to pass trains and trams with passengers and goods
ever absurd they are;
On both the sides
modern civilization exists
mills, factories, industries, markets and localities are
in high rising skyscrapers, fashionable, colorful buildings
lines after lines vertically, horizontally
and underwardly growers they are;
Here and there wide and long hollow down bridges
over ponds, lakes, channels, rivers even seas
where ply boats, launches all the times,
sometimes through long tunnel
goes through hills, desert and channel
challenging explorers they are;
I have walked for long and long, faced long quarry
only iron and stone all through the journey
no pearls, diamond or ivory,
i have heard fierce, painful crying
but seen no tiger or lion roaring
absurd history makers they are;
I have seen cutting, burning, clearing forests
filling lakes, dishes, rivers,
leveling hills, killing wilds
for paving the paths of iron and stone,
for ever growing silver civilization
innumerable stations setters they are.
Amazing beauty, citrus delight, esteemed Florida growers,
Hoping irresistible juices kiss lips make nuances optimal.
Producing quality reared sweet tasting, universally
very wanted, x-tra yum, zestfully.
By Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen
12/31/2016
Confessions by Cupid
This comes from my heart
Resonating from my mind:
The most enchanting part
Moving me is her behind!
*
An enchanted lewd Bee
Chasing fleeing Flowers...
When racy petals I see
I easily forget the Growers!
*
I’m randy Cupid in love
Wielding Arrow by hand
Ferreting the thick grove
Love’s pleasure to demand.
*
So, I move in tight jeans
Dancing, Lover(s) to impress
Like infatuated teens
I find it easy to undress!
*
When I freeze with a kiss
White, as a statue of salt,
When I drown in tart bliss
I rise in blame’s thunder fault!
JM
25Th Oct’ 2013
Jonathan Moore had a cocktail queen
She lit up the skylight, move over Charlene!
Crack-jack milly-dilly four and a teen
Ain't come round here, she's in Johnny Moore's dream
Coastal giant wave-rider, top of the scene
Never quite made it up to see Magdalene
Jiffy-miff hacky-tack four and a teen
Thousand words a picture, on top o' James Dean
California jelly-bean, man overseas
Peasantry drinkin' up moonlight 'n' tea
Fenny-benny piggle-wiggle four and a teen
Coffee growers naggin' 'bout Jack and the Bean
Kissing tigers wanderin' through coal mine reeds
Took his twenty dollars, 'twas more than they'd seen
Cally-cat whistle-whine turn a new leaf
Never known a joker didn't have him a thief