I can't, I fear,
understand, John dear,
what this big green machine
is really meant to mean.
I see them on the prairie
and to me they're very scary
with their great big wheels
and their other big deals.Don't they run over gophers
and unthinking men's loafers?
Or snakes or frogs?
Or cats or dogs?
I can't help but surmise
it's not good for the wildlife
(or the shoes).
 |
| Wikipedia photos |
Look at these pointy green
things which look quite mean—
torpedo-shaped, set to blow
the prairie into smithereens.
(Or so it seems to me.)
*
from my vantage point here
on the edge of the prairie
but not quite "of" the prairie,
I'm thinking a nice little green
ride-on-lawn-mowing-machine
might make an attractive tractor for a girl who wants to seem to live the prairie dream.
Please send a ride-on-mower by extra-special order and sent it fast and quick.
With love from your
greatly confused fan,
Kay
XOXO
The wonderful and talented Isadora Gruye has asked members and visitors at Imaginary Garden with Real Toads to "write a poem about the mechanical nature of the modern harvest".
What about those of us who came to Alberta to marry a businessman? What if I know nothing about farming and less about harvesting? What if I spent my entire life working in newspapers and printing shops? I know what a platen press is. And a California job case. I can strip a job and burn a plate. I know paper, ink, typefaces and type sizes. I can spell like a hot damn, and can find spelling and grammatical errors in everything from phone books to a Margaret Atwood book published by Oxford University Press.
But if the sheaves need bringing in, it won't be done by me.
18 comments:
Well done, Kay! This was cute.
I hope you are feeling a bit better now ;-) Hugs.xx
Kay, I can just see you on a cute little quadbike with matching green and yellow outfit :-)
Personally I don't mind the noisy harvesters, and much wildlife escapes to the hedgerows here. It's the deadly booms on the sprayers that make me sick to my stomach each time I see one in the even have to put danger notices up along the roads that traverse these clouds of poison which shorten our lives and ruin the quality of what we have left.
I could was quite eloquent but know it would be to no avail under our present legislation.
Glad you too managed a bit of levity on this deadly serious subject.
John Deere the mean green machine! A big name in everything farming. A smooth verse and the wonderful rhymes faithfully maintained. Nicely Kay!
Hank
Excellent! As for expertise - we are all experts in our own ways but no-one can know everything so we must cooperate:-)
This is so funny, Kay. I love your idea of writing a Dear John.. that was inspired.
Ah, my buddy John Deere; as a parks worker, I've ridden the big ones and the small ones, and I may say having my own small one to mow my personal acreage was a dream come true. I enjoyed this, and even more your footnote about your own area of expertise, Kay--it ties in well with the fading of the family farm Izy talked about as in the last two days alone I've read of two prominent print institutions (Newsweek and The Guardian) going to all digital production.
Green was the colour sported by my Dad's farm machinery. The long green line tilled many-a-field.
I am sure that John understood that at least one person on the farm rode/wrote in a different direction! This poem was a chuckle to read.:)
This is really cute!
I so love this, especially your comments following...........you are so hilarious!
Took me back to my youth and the farm. John Deere was a revered name, although I couldn't understand why guys got so excited about tractors. I drove ours in the field during hay season by the time I was twelve. Far easier workb than loading the bales onto the trailer, but still a hot and dusty job.
Thanks for the memories and some morning smiles.
I love those pics....John Deere is such a piece of American history. The way you made this like a letter was clever and cool. Great work girl, loved every minute of it.
My dad worked for John Deere for many years ~ Your words just brought me back to those years ~ Enjoyed your fun take Kay ~
Very charming! I love the loafers - double meaning too! I am, on the one hand, against factory farms, and a bit suspicious of too much machinery but have a bit of a soft spot for John Deere, as old U.S. company.
All so complex! YOu bring that out here.
Thanks. k.
love your playfulness and spirit of adventure! I, too, a city girl still have a hard time grasping my own prompt...well done!
YOU are so clever! I lover your take on the prompt! :D I made a sign for hubby when his ship was coming in, it said, Don Deere(we bought him a John Deere lawn mower for his homecoming! (Navy ship homecoming)
I made the sign in John Deere colors. He said, he had no problem seeing us from a far, lol
Love this~
This was so cute, Kay. I hope John sends you what you want.
I enjoy your humor, Kay..an I like on the edge of but not quite of the prairie!! Nicely done!!
Dearest John Deere, This is too clever and I LOVED it. I agree, the little lawn mower looks cute, but the others look like monsters.
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