Author Information
Weeding
it was a warm autumn night
the weather unseasonal they said
not many knew the plight
of the world at the time then
we had finished the chores for day'
And had been fillingly fed
there was talk of a visitor
some said a long lost friend
of whose we weren't to sure
with intrigue we waited with our drinks
but the lass who arrived at the door
saw us all give the boss a wink
she had a flowing gown
of light cotton to the floor
as she was from the town
which we very rarely saw
she told of industrial strife
of pollutants in air, land and stream,
and said our humble lives
were a lot more than it seems
for she told of greedy men
corrupt and ignorant fools
that the folly the world sent
would end their destructive tools
but we joked about her talk
and her prophecy of doom
but she had the walk
and the boss seemed in the mood
so he dismissed us for the night
and all night long we heard
their distant chatter sprite'
and her chortling like a bird
by the morn' the girl had left
but at the table was the boss
without smile his fists were clenched
as to reason we were lost
he slowly raised his cup
and beckoned to breakfast
while silence hung above
until he spoke at last
With foggy eyes he said
that she was his first wife
and had left the land for dead
to seek the higher life
and she of her own doing
had found that she had erred
for the city and it's gloss
were not what she really yearned
tho' she felt at loss
she could not truly return
to something she had left
for she knew it was not deserved
but not to comeback at all
would have left the boss undone
for she had come to call
to tell him of his son
who was now a rich executive
with apartment towers and such
and at his means directive
was raping the land we loved
with mining and development
of pure green untouched fields
and the only of his discernment
was how much it yields
of course the land it has harvest
and at times it's pretty dry
but we're not in the contest
to leave it empty and deprived
but then he broke a smile
he thought he was a lawyer's son
and now the truth reviled
will bring the greed undone
for the boss now he knew
that it was his seed
that farmers don't take lightly
to noxious successful weeds
(c)R.H.Elliott 2005
