Before the dawn and the critters wake, a young man stirs. Driven by nothing but the fact that there’s a job to do, he rises. With boogers in the eyes and dreariness in his bones, he heads to the field. Without a doubt in his head or a song in his heart, he heads to the field.

Sweet corn he’s soiled and toiled over for months, in the baking sun. In the darkness of early day he begins what he must. Slicing his way through the field stalk by stalk.

The sun peeks over the mountains and spreads its languorous warmth. He basks in it, embraces it, the warmth the calm and the peace of the new day. Hands *****, tired, ******, and sore he continues through the field stalk by stalk. Collecting each ear and setting them aside.

He walks and ponders through the corn, thought by thought and stalk by stalk.

With the corn in tow and ready to go, he tries to sell his maize to everyone he knows. Every ear can hear, but there are no takers. Like most farmers in these times, his wares will wither.

Skip trip flip a stone
So many wonders to be had with Earth’s homegrown

Stones have a beauty that comfort many an eye
Crazy to think stoning was a common way to die

So much to be said for the stone’s great journey
My friends dad almost put a man in a gurney

The stone he threw was meant to harm
Good thing he’s an old man with a weak arm

Long ago he chose me
Crawled into the lap of a boy of three

For many years he protected and cared
While that little boy grew up and dared

Together we’d play and lay about
Without much thought or care of what its all about

A massive beast yet warm and gentle
I miss my best friend and his snores from the kennel