Far More

 

 

Far More.

 

Rain wringing out great drops on sodden yards
wetting Sunday-faced farmers 
plus ripple of following offspring who mincing
thru' grass yawn slowly uphill
to mud-spattered salvation of weekly worship

and damply pewed, wait for the sermon.

Built of stone-hard resign, staunch parson rule
offers no finery, portal-plain duty            
calls, aged by saline sea-ravage muted walls      
wait for maids and their matrons
to kneel and receive forgiveness by donating         

so by inbuilt faith can sin-ache alter.     

Hatted heads bow as onslaught of next storm 
fling windowed reminders to all
reverently bent but men know gale-flat grain
awaits no redemption from
sudden battering, cattle-full sheds bellow out  
for attention as gates lean on
torn hinges squeaking in vain, time is wasted 
in best attire when fierce tempest
empties coins' plated rattle as men scramble

for doors before moor-top service ends. 

Smallholding tasking ever takes precedence
but for one holy-hour, chapel then
done and Hellfire quenched Sunday skirts lift 
as lady-boots quickly skid homeward 
to kitchen heaven of baked bread smells and 
roasting aromas when welcome hands 
closed in thanks after renewing, sin-cleansed   
and full of rude health, country folk  
can shoulder usual hazards of living off land

that asks for far more than Sunday-best.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

with all the time i spent as a kid in Vermont...i respect the farmers so much...their life is really hard...time off is a myth...and they have to love that life in order to live it.
You present a perfect portrait of a farming family...I had a best friend in college who lived in Effingham...
up north...crop farmers...tough life...but they all loved it...from dawn till dusk and more.
j.

[Fay Slimm]

Catching up on your generous review of "Far More" dear friend and delighted it gave you memories of farming families who though hard working had to meet Sunday requirements and did so without much complaint - - except when they met with a gale.....................

[barleygirl]

This is an exquisite character portrait of the kinds of lives that are tangled in farming & church-going. You nailed that connection with awesome balance & equanimity. No preachy sentiments or putting some pie-in-the-sky God sermon above the farmer's muse, the daily grind (weather & whatever nature dictates). This is spot-on for this kind of person, this kind of life. I love how your church references thru-out have many parallels like pews & furrow, etc. (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Fay Slimm]

Yes farmers of all cultures have tight work schedules and Sunday service back then was taken on board with grace and best clothes- - except when they met with a gale......... and then walls imploded with rush toward home........ those were the days my friend.......... so my Nana said. Thanks a load for your exuberant review Margie - hugs back at ya.................. Fay xx

[Lorry]

Makes me feel that i should stop complaining about getting so much rain here, so just for today, i wont mention it... Because it started snowing last night.
I concur that it is what most of us do, whether in church, paying a forgiveness tax, or guiltily throwing some coins in the cup of a homeless perso. We salve our conscience, telling ourselves we have done our part and walk away with a warm happy glow, which cancels out the"giving for givings sake" and makes it look more like soul insurance beneath the facade.
And where would we be without rain? Our lives rely on it to feed the grain that feeds us, so honestly, i will stop complaining about it. 😀
Liked the close knit community ferl to your piece and related well to the shifty ones who start moving closer to the doors the minute the service starts. Last time i was in church, i was convinced it would fall down, crushong my sinful bones 😀

[Fay Slimm]

Pleased that you got the feel of community from the tale of Far More and thanks for your interesting review Lorry - -am thankful too that my few words raised issues which helped solve your distaste for rain my friend - - can relate to that though as we have enough here at this time of the year to dampen the spirit of outdoor sunseekers like me.

[John the Baptist]

Sparely related but very descriptive word picture here. Puts one right in the scene. Not sure if it is set in present day or some historical period, but it does tell us much about these rural people and the lives they lead. Nicely done.

[Fay Slimm]

Thanks John for this welcome review of my piece on Far More - - I wondered if it read too sparingly but wanted above all to make alive the constant demands on folk who live off the land.

[wordman]

lol,whats for dinner fay,i can smell it cooking

[Fay Slimm]

Gotta be something to warm top to bottom of a farmer's hard-working heart my friend............. thanks a load for the read and review.......... Fay

[wordman]

my pleasure fay