H'work for w/e 27.6.19 - PLAN OF ACTION

[Maureen K Clifford]

PLAN OF ACTION ... Maureen Clifford © The #ScribblyBark Poet - 29.5.19

He holds no dreams of fortunes vast, he merely wants a living
for himself and his family - he's poor and quite forgiving
of all that life has sent him, and at times it has been rough,
but he's an Aussie through and through and life has made him tough.
He's always put the family first, and done without so much,
and often he makes do and mends, he has a magic touch
with machinery that fails and dies, he gets it up and running
with innovative substitutes, and bushman's native cunning.

There's some who guzzle at the bar all night and then cry poor,
and others gamble all the time - delusions of grandeur
constantly fill their heads and dreams but alas they don't win
but set themselves up for failure. For few become king pin.
And when they fall by the wayside their self respect expended,
they quickly find the banks foreclose, and credit's not extended.
They lose the lot, the farm, the home, the wife, their stock, their cattle
and harsh reality sets in - they face a losing battle.

Old ways of life are nearly gone - he thinks they're worth retrying,
to work in harmony with nature rather than decrying
the seasons and the weather - Mother Nature had a plan
that seemed to work tolerably well, without the hand of man
tampering with the wildlife, which was held in finite balance
and should be treated with utmost respect not nonchalance
for every creature had its place, all part of one big chain
with man it seems the weakest link. Could we be strong again?

Let us battle without surcease to invigorate pasture
without the use of chemicals which have proved a disaster,
to creeks and rivers, reefs and seas, polluted with the poison
and costing dollars hard to find. He questioned now the reason.
And every year when strong winds blew, his topsoil drifted with it
He had to bring ground covers back - this was a fact implicit.
He had to nurture soil and soul - the future now seemed brighter.
He was a simple farming bloke, no quitter but a fighter.

A plan of action was required, he'd waste no hour or minute
in putting into place a plan, and throwing himself in it
with enthusiasm spurred by need, for no help was forthcoming
than the help that he could generate himself by overcoming
costly mistakes that had robbed his earth of the required vitality
and nearly bought them all undone a threat to their mortality.
For things to change, he had to change - one should heed sound advice
and nothing ventured, nothing gained .... he thought it a fair price.

[Neville Briggs]

Good on you Maureen. I think however that we cannot view farming as part of nature, farming is an industrial process that manipulates natural resources. Perhaps there will always be a price to pay. Unless we want to be hunter-gatherers.

[Terry]

Hi Maureen
Farming can be tough at times, but as you say you have to ride with the punches and make the best of the good years - there's sure to be plenty of the other. No point in making things worse by being plain stupid.

Terry

[Maureen K Clifford]

I am the eternal optimist Neville and a firm believer in the adage that if it ain't broke - don't fix it. Not to many stupid farming folks out there Terry, they might make a mistake once but rarely twice from what I have seen - but it is a constant battle with Mother Nature if you wark against her, far easier to work with her as I am sure you know.

[Shelley Hansen]

Interesting angle on the prompts, Maureen - and thank you for posting them.

I will endeavour to make amends for my recent non-participation and agitate the little grey cells ...

Cheers
Shelley

[Irene]

Hi Maureen
It neve ceases to amaze me how you - and others - manage to pull all the prompts together into one poem!!
I have problems writing a poem with just one of the prompts - let alone all!!
Well done.
Catchya
Irene