Garden Walk
A world of color
and shape
and texture
and size
and shape
and texture
and size
Brought from catalogs
from other gardens
from other places
Brought together
in fine imagination
becoming reality
as paintings are painted
master gardeners sculpt in plants
Beds and borders
raised and sunken
terraced and potted
arranged just so
the creations bloom
and shower color
and bring us pleasure
Once a year
the gardens open
visitors stream
to gaze and ponder
savor and enjoy
the gardens open
visitors stream
to gaze and ponder
savor and enjoy
Recognizing hard work
matched with creativity
the gardeners gather
to ooo and awe
appropriately
The soil so wooed
with seed and sun
food and labor
sends forth the fruits
to make it so
Creation
our tiny understanding
So pleasing
the Garden Show
Lin 06/05
The Rest of the Story
Evening in the city
my experienced friend the driver
Heather and I in her BMW speed along
brake hard and speed again
the sea of cars and people ebb and flow at rush hour
To the Reception!
People from around the world
a mix of winners and judges and The Company
Interesting and fascinating folks
Argentina, China, Hungary
America and the Americas
Asia, Europe, talking, sharing
Weather and crops, home,
What’s new? What’s exciting?
Every person with a passion for agriculture
Discoveries and actions, results
Sustainable Yield Pledge Awards…
the Rest of the Story
Brett and Deborah,
Heather and Michelle and Linda
Jesus and Pablo
Robert from Cornell and Yale
Kim who knows his ‘bees-ness’
John, the publisher, writer, editor…farmer
Viktor from Ukraine and children interests
Anna from Sweden, and
Marisa, Buenos Aires and Geneva,
mix in Billy from Missouri Corn Growers,
and Lin, a farmer from Illinois…
Who put their feet under a table
and ate together in St. Louis
my experienced friend the driver
Heather and I in her BMW speed along
brake hard and speed again
the sea of cars and people ebb and flow at rush hour
To the Reception!
People from around the world
a mix of winners and judges and The Company
Interesting and fascinating folks
Argentina, China, Hungary
America and the Americas
Asia, Europe, talking, sharing
Weather and crops, home,
What’s new? What’s exciting?
Every person with a passion for agriculture
Discoveries and actions, results
Sustainable Yield Pledge Awards…
the Rest of the Story
Brett and Deborah,
Heather and Michelle and Linda
Jesus and Pablo
Robert from Cornell and Yale
Kim who knows his ‘bees-ness’
John, the publisher, writer, editor…farmer
Viktor from Ukraine and children interests
Anna from Sweden, and
Marisa, Buenos Aires and Geneva,
mix in Billy from Missouri Corn Growers,
and Lin, a farmer from Illinois…
Who put their feet under a table
and ate together in St. Louis
Morning at headquarters,
a quick rehearsal, seats assigned,
visiting with the team from Hungary and a team from India,
a team from Argentina, and then
Jesus, vice president, The Company, in Argentina:
” Good Morning!”
Indeed it is! as he skillfully shares
a man with passion for science
passion for people who need to eat
for people who create and do
To the Awards!
A trophy 14 inches tall, a gold leaf, fitting:
adequate, healthy sustainable food is better than gold
Congratulations and a picture with the President
a reward for doing more with less
in a Sustainable Yield way
Efficient use of water
increased yield of crops
even a program to excite STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in education)
(Please expand that to STEAM- add Agriculture for a hungry planet!)
This just a taste of
The Rest of The Story…about a company
where responsible research creates
Food
Monsanto, the People
a quick rehearsal, seats assigned,
visiting with the team from Hungary and a team from India,
a team from Argentina, and then
Jesus, vice president, The Company, in Argentina:
” Good Morning!”
Indeed it is! as he skillfully shares
a man with passion for science
passion for people who need to eat
for people who create and do
To the Awards!
A trophy 14 inches tall, a gold leaf, fitting:
adequate, healthy sustainable food is better than gold
Congratulations and a picture with the President
a reward for doing more with less
in a Sustainable Yield way
Efficient use of water
increased yield of crops
even a program to excite STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in education)
(Please expand that to STEAM- add Agriculture for a hungry planet!)
This just a taste of
The Rest of The Story…about a company
where responsible research creates
Food
Monsanto, the People
Empty Chairs
It hits hard
the empty chair
staring at us
A ghost sits there
partially filling
memories reaching out to us
A brave person sits next
going on, keeping on
carrying two new burdens
One the missing touches, embraces
that link humans heart to heart
The other a thousand things
the missing one did, would be doing
As time goes by the empty chairs increase
numbers at funerals decrease
those ‘on the other side’ grow
those showing up moving slowly, carefully
with canes and walkers and wheelchairs, assisted
the empty chair
staring at us
A ghost sits there
partially filling
memories reaching out to us
A brave person sits next
going on, keeping on
carrying two new burdens
One the missing touches, embraces
that link humans heart to heart
The other a thousand things
the missing one did, would be doing
As time goes by the empty chairs increase
numbers at funerals decrease
those ‘on the other side’ grow
those showing up moving slowly, carefully
with canes and walkers and wheelchairs, assisted
Chapters close, books finish
we lay them aside, or
put them on a shelf, to gather dust
From dust we became
and so return
our fingers leaving marks
my hands become my grandpa’s
and I see them in my grandson’s…
Selah, Lin June 2014
I got a jolt just yesterday. A five star energetic lady, Nancy Strunk, recently lost her husband Duane. At a meeting of the Farm Bureau legislative committee where she and Duane were regulars, she was sitting there with an empty chair next to her. Just happened. But the empty chair was ‘talking to me’, grabbing me by the throat. They met and fell in love at the U of I, married, raised kids and worked side by side. Now there are grandchildren. And an empty chair.
we lay them aside, or
put them on a shelf, to gather dust
From dust we became
and so return
our fingers leaving marks
my hands become my grandpa’s
and I see them in my grandson’s…
Selah, Lin June 2014
I got a jolt just yesterday. A five star energetic lady, Nancy Strunk, recently lost her husband Duane. At a meeting of the Farm Bureau legislative committee where she and Duane were regulars, she was sitting there with an empty chair next to her. Just happened. But the empty chair was ‘talking to me’, grabbing me by the throat. They met and fell in love at the U of I, married, raised kids and worked side by side. Now there are grandchildren. And an empty chair.
The Alleluia Chorus
>
Indeed there are tears of sorrow
shaking us in our core
spontaneously erupting
After all
Jesus wept
Peter wept
The mothers and those who loved Him wept
Death sometimes swallows not just the deceased
but those who go on living
in the deep dark shadows of separation
touch stolen
living and breathing but not whole
This background was added to
by unjustness, evil
pouring out, anger unleashed
by torture
humiliation
The worst that cruelty could image
was done
over
But
The stone was rolled away…
the grave cloths left
the story of the ages unfolded, as foretold
Christ has RISEN!
shaking us in our core
spontaneously erupting
After all
Jesus wept
Peter wept
The mothers and those who loved Him wept
Death sometimes swallows not just the deceased
but those who go on living
in the deep dark shadows of separation
touch stolen
living and breathing but not whole
This background was added to
by unjustness, evil
pouring out, anger unleashed
by torture
humiliation
The worst that cruelty could image
was done
over
But
The stone was rolled away…
the grave cloths left
the story of the ages unfolded, as foretold
Christ has RISEN!
No wonder, then,
that warm tears of joy pour forth
that we must sing
must sound trumpets and tyrannies
FFF
Hope born was murdered
but rose from the grave
walking, talking, breaking bread
appearing again and again
teaching
making a way for us
to live victoriously
prepare for you, for me, a mansion
and open the doors of heaven
So here we join the Alleluia chorus
for just a tiny whiff
of life forever
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Selah, Easter, 2014
that warm tears of joy pour forth
that we must sing
must sound trumpets and tyrannies
FFF
Hope born was murdered
but rose from the grave
walking, talking, breaking bread
appearing again and again
teaching
making a way for us
to live victoriously
prepare for you, for me, a mansion
and open the doors of heaven
So here we join the Alleluia chorus
for just a tiny whiff
of life forever
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Selah, Easter, 2014
The Annual Meeting
Four degrees above zero
but the cars and pickups are rolling in
It’s a hardy bunch, these farm folks!
Not to be dissuaded by some bitter cold
Plenty of smiles at the check in desk
plenty of ‘Good to see you’ words being spoken
as the coat room fills to overflowing
The president gets the nod
taps on the mike
and the evening begins
“Welcome to the One Hundred Second Annual Meeting
of the Champaign County Farm Bureau”
and the faces of three hundred turn to see
A very spry eighty year old makes his way
looks out on the audience
He’s a veteran of decades of teaching math
helping others
and now the Prime Timer chairman
“Let’s pray.”
The clear voice fills the room
giving thanks
asking guidance
praying for those in the military
asking a blessing on the food
and those who prepared it for us
“Amen!”
“Let’s eat!”
but the cars and pickups are rolling in
It’s a hardy bunch, these farm folks!
Not to be dissuaded by some bitter cold
Plenty of smiles at the check in desk
plenty of ‘Good to see you’ words being spoken
as the coat room fills to overflowing
The president gets the nod
taps on the mike
and the evening begins
“Welcome to the One Hundred Second Annual Meeting
of the Champaign County Farm Bureau”
and the faces of three hundred turn to see
A very spry eighty year old makes his way
looks out on the audience
He’s a veteran of decades of teaching math
helping others
and now the Prime Timer chairman
“Let’s pray.”
The clear voice fills the room
giving thanks
asking guidance
praying for those in the military
asking a blessing on the food
and those who prepared it for us
“Amen!”
“Let’s eat!”
A fine beef meal served
dessert and coffee finishing up
the meeting begins afresh
Switching from an eighty year old
to high school students
the Blue Coats parade the flags
Young men and women of the FFA
Shining examples of our youth
and the best America grows
The Young Ag Leader leads (of course!)
“I pledge allegiance…”
“One nation under God’
No apologies here, just recognition
of how small we are
and how big God is
All ages coming forth
to report, inform, about the business
“Smooth”, some said after
‘Best ever”, said others.
“We loved the speaker”, said others.
Katie Pratt, young farmer,
spouse, mother, advocate, educator
stepping up to the plate
from New York City to Hawaii
telling it like it really is,
the real story of American agriculture.
Outstanding!
The program closes
and many slip away
but many stay to visit
enjoying each other, no rush
A pleasant time
this event
to be remembered, savored
Good!
Selah, Lin January 2014
dessert and coffee finishing up
the meeting begins afresh
Switching from an eighty year old
to high school students
the Blue Coats parade the flags
Young men and women of the FFA
Shining examples of our youth
and the best America grows
The Young Ag Leader leads (of course!)
“I pledge allegiance…”
“One nation under God’
No apologies here, just recognition
of how small we are
and how big God is
All ages coming forth
to report, inform, about the business
“Smooth”, some said after
‘Best ever”, said others.
“We loved the speaker”, said others.
Katie Pratt, young farmer,
spouse, mother, advocate, educator
stepping up to the plate
from New York City to Hawaii
telling it like it really is,
the real story of American agriculture.
Outstanding!
The program closes
and many slip away
but many stay to visit
enjoying each other, no rush
A pleasant time
this event
to be remembered, savored
Good!
Selah, Lin January 2014
Corn, Soybeans and Chicago
Incongruous
you are thinking perhaps
but oh, they are linked!
Think ‘Price!’, for a start
and the Chicago Board of Trade
World leader
bringing willing seller and willing buyer together
to find a price to sell, a price to buy
today and tomorrows too!
We’re planted deep
in the prairie soils
luxuriating in green growing crops
but, summer passing,
the crops mature
and harvest begins
where will the grain be used?
Nearby factories?
Southeast livestock?
Or will it move to water
barges and ships and faraway places?
How is price discovered?
What’s that magic number?
Chicago plays that role….
A fitting place for that to happen
as our nation provides for the world
The only major supplier
every year, not now and then
(Jimmy Carter the exception)
ships load on our shores
carrying away food
to a hungry world, a growing world
population up up up!
you are thinking perhaps
but oh, they are linked!
Think ‘Price!’, for a start
and the Chicago Board of Trade
World leader
bringing willing seller and willing buyer together
to find a price to sell, a price to buy
today and tomorrows too!
We’re planted deep
in the prairie soils
luxuriating in green growing crops
but, summer passing,
the crops mature
and harvest begins
where will the grain be used?
Nearby factories?
Southeast livestock?
Or will it move to water
barges and ships and faraway places?
How is price discovered?
What’s that magic number?
Chicago plays that role….
A fitting place for that to happen
as our nation provides for the world
The only major supplier
every year, not now and then
(Jimmy Carter the exception)
ships load on our shores
carrying away food
to a hungry world, a growing world
population up up up!
Across our land
the scientists labor
riding the waves of grain
they discover
pass it on
genetically modifying, carefully,
very carefully,
to grow and more
with less and less!
Unbelievable!
But true! Fact!
Less fertilizer, less chemical,
more yield!
Efficiency over and over…
“Keep It For The Crop!”
GPS the yield and GPS plant population…
GPS the plant food site specific!
Oh my!
Now ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’
are rushing in to being
Google that one for a treat!
Oh my!
Enjoy the scenes of agriculture,
and enjoy the grain pits in Chicago
Dinner is served!
Lin, 8/2013
the scientists labor
riding the waves of grain
they discover
pass it on
genetically modifying, carefully,
very carefully,
to grow and more
with less and less!
Unbelievable!
But true! Fact!
Less fertilizer, less chemical,
more yield!
Efficiency over and over…
“Keep It For The Crop!”
GPS the yield and GPS plant population…
GPS the plant food site specific!
Oh my!
Now ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’
are rushing in to being
Google that one for a treat!
Oh my!
Enjoy the scenes of agriculture,
and enjoy the grain pits in Chicago
Dinner is served!
Lin, 8/2013