the prairie speaks to us
sacrificed plants over thousands of years
turn the soil to ebony black
Gentle rains make it shine
glistening in the morning Son
Father creating mother, it seems
Breaking winter’s hardness
the earth tilts to give us warmth
farmers do their things
scratching, massaging mother earth
laying down rows of seeds
Corn, in particular
has a hardened point
sharp as a pencil it pushes up
from ebony earth comes ribbons green
so now we see
ebony earth, adorned with ribbons
come plants of promise
life spans of a hundred days
where one seed becomes 600
and the ribbons have become bows
Picture a newborn baby
fuzzy hair there
with a tiny ribbon somehow tied
then a young girl, smiling, laughing
running and jumping and squealing with joy
and then a beautiful mother
(aren’t they all?)
hair coifed just so
and a bow…
Ah, beautiful mother, earth
is adorned with a bow
seen from far above
It’s for us!
You! Me!
Ebony earth, ribbons and bows!
Spring 2015, a happy farmer, Lin, corn planted