Praying For Some Rain

We were up ‘fore the sun
Before the rooster’s crow,
To gather the hen’s eggs,
To feed and seed and mow.

We had so many chores,
There wasn’t time for play;
“Manure smells like money,”
My daddy used to say.

House was always dusty,
No grass grew in the yard.
Instead we grew veggies
Like beets and beans and chard.

We had a dog or two,
But they weren’t kept as pets;
They worked as hard as us
To help us pay our debts.

We had no fancy clothes,
No ribbons in our hair.
Ribbons were for the pigs
Who’d won the county fair!

We’d work the whole day through,
Pulling weeds, milking cows,
And caring for the mule
Who would pull our old plow.

The days were hot and long,
We saw our share of pain –
Like when we lost our crops
Due to a lack of rain.

“There is always next year,”
My momma used to say,
“We’ll get by regardless.”
And we have to this day.

“Cuz God blesses farmers,
The stewards of the earth.
He rewards sacrifice,
He glorifies their worth.”

And I can still hear mom
When I walk ‘tween the rows,
And I appreciate
The life for us she chose.

Cuz there’s nothing better
Than seeing hard work’s gain
And watching the clouds form
When praying for some rain!