[tizaala]

The Farmers Lament.[/size]Why do these barns stand empty,On this old family farm,And when did farming smaller holdings,
Actually do the country harm,
He was happy with his hundred ewes,
Few horses, hens and sows,
And never really saw the need,
To milk more than thirty cows,
Most of what they ate, he grew,
As DEFRA looks to blame,
He didn't need the plastic tags,
He knew his stock by name,
But he finds himself retiring,
Because his joints are stiff with age,
His sons moved to the city,
Where they pay a proper wage,
So hes in the hands of agents,
And their joy is plain to see,
Not a thought about his lifetimes work,
Just a big fat sellers fee,
They split the farm up into lots,
Such is their endeavour,
Without the sickening realisation,
Another farm is lost forever,
When the farmhouse sells at auction,
Should he really mind?
When its bought by the very people,
Who have robbed his pension blind?
Its sold with tiny paddocks,
Because they'd like to keep a horse,
But they love the look of foxes,
So they'll never hunt, of course,
They wont like crowing cockerels,
Or the smell of muck being spread,
The winter sound of gunfire,
Or the thought of game shot dead,
These barns have stood a century,
Will soon be filled with glass and steel,
Developers will leave some beams in,
So it has that country feel,
All the strangers move in slowly,
And all the country skills are lost,
Do we think just about the value?
But ignore the long term cost,
He sells the farm and wonders,
What all his works been for,
And how will these new folks manage,
If there comes another war,
When Sainsbury's shelves are empty,
There's no wheat or livestock reared,
They will look for farms and farmers,
To find that both have disappeared.[/color]

[Bionic]

True and sad 

[devonlad]

so true

[Mammyshaz]

I want that framed! So true and also sad 

[john and helen]

But whats that light appearing
to change this awful tale
some actually like the crowing. and that beauty cow s**t smell
could this be a freshening, restore that tired land
to hear the sound of popping from a massy ferguson

not all  towns folk are silly,
some take the country path,
they love the way the cockerel crows
the way the piglets bath
Even some will take the time
to sit and think of past, what the farmer wanted most
to make his dreams still last

ile go and shoot that pheasant, ile add a rabbit too
ile even shoot that bloody fox, but not add to the stew
ile plant that country hedge row, ile add a fence or two
ile take my time and learn the land, just like the farmers do

ile never be that farmer, as he was born and breed
but ile do my best to watch and learn and practice what i said
that piece of land were buying may once of been a farm
it saddens me as much as him
but i will cause no harm

[Clarebelle]

love both odes!

[Lesley Silvester]

Great, both of them.

[john and helen]

I guess what i was saying , about the story from above
its not just all the country folk ,who have a country love
we learn a way of living, to share is such a gain
to keep the secrets and the ways, would be an awful  shame

i noticed in the story, the farmers son did go
to search a life of money gain, and join the madding flow
yet others in the city, see fields of open green,
not all the folk in city world, have money to be seen

when i was a young lad, i had the best of both
jumping on the local bus to watch a picture show
but when there was no  money, and town was out of sight
you often saw me rabbiting . in the fields at night

I knew our local farmer, a gentleman i swear
breeks and tweed the fashion, a man who really cared
but 40 years have passed us, the farm is all but gone
a KFC and pc world, stands up on the barn

I want my piece of country side, i want to grow my veg
i want to rear my living stock , that is what i pledge
ile have my quiet moments, when walking in the wood
i hope one day in future years  , the farmer says i'm good

[john and helen]

The original post is without doubt,  beautiful, but every story has more than one side

yes there will be many who have done well and bought their dream, and as the poem says, many will make from the farmers hard work and not even think how much work the farmer has done over the years

its quite a powerful piece, and thought provoking , it certainly got me thinking,
this is going to be a massive step for me and H
but knowing what we want to do , has given me some comfort in reading that poem, I will never ever be a Farmer,
but i do hope , picturing the old boys thoughts , i can become a good smallholder, and learn to love the land and life
that he did

Thanks for posting that Tizaala

[Lesley Silvester]

At least you are setting out on that life with the right ideas. The big grouse is the city dwellers who move into the countryside and promptly try to turn it into town-type living.