Burnt Dirt

Debating climate change? If so I feel sorry for you....

Summer grassland, screams are garbled

Hoarsely clearing dusted pipes

Frantic bees scratch 2D hives in

sizzling patches…scorched soil dirges.

 

Farmland withers, bleeding ca$h;

Treetops flame like matchstick towers…

Farmer Dells clutch ground like cinders,

Trapped by crops in molten memory.

 

Barns once filled with work machines

Now stand in kindling,

Dirt on fire.

 

dan © 2015

 

Music: “Burnin’ for You,” by Blue Oyster Cult

 

Author's Note

Reviews

[H. R. Dwyer]

I like your pieces, they're honest.

[dan]

H.R., Thank you sir (or ma'am). I appreciate the visit and the read/review. take care...dan

[Olivia]

I was listen to Woody Guthrie the first time read it and then read it with the blue oyster cult. I think people should do this, both times have different meanings with the same words.
Truly powerful.

[dan]

I like to pick music to accompany my writing, I believe it adds another layer to the piece, an enhancement. Listening to two DIFFERENT types of music while reading the piece is something I had never thought of doing. And you can't GET much more different than Woody Guthrie and BOC. Thanks for the great review. take care...dan

[Terry O'Leary]

As long as greed is almighty, and profit is the prophet we're bound to burn in hell...
Great poem... "when will people ever learn..."

[dan]

Thank you for the read/review. I appreciate your input, take care...dan

[JayceeC]

This used to be a country proud of its agriculture. Now farmers are fleeing the business as soon as they can manage. Insurance on equipment too expensive, but if you do not have it, it cost too much in time and labor to turn a profit. Govenment wants to control how much you plant, so they pay through a system that is designed to limit what a grower plants, which may or may not make dependent on the weather. Then they turn around and import what they paid us not to grow from countries that can use chemicals that are banned here in the US. Makes you wonder where our food supply will be coming from in another 20 years.

[dan]

All of what you say is true. This write deals more with the climate change aspect of the industry. Drought and wildfires have rendered large parts of the environment useless. I agree that the constraints being imposed on the agricultural segment of our economy is hard to reconcile with what we know of farmlands. Thank you for your informative review. take care...dan

[vido.]

A really engaging and thought provoking piece.

[dan]

Thank you. Turn on the news any day and watch the scorched earth sizzling. A heartbreaking sight. take care...dan

[Crystal Overmeyer-Birmi..]

your ingenuity in this is astounding. Really sound and thought out theme. Me thinks it has more than a drought on the earth and reads like a drought of the soul. Whatever one it is, it is great.

[dan]

It is mostly about the drought but I wanted to put out feelers to the reader to try to dig deeper into the meaning. You are the only one so far who has done that, and I thank you for that! take care...dan

[MsJewel]

Your words ring true here in Southern California as we try desperately to conserve water... We are dreading Indian Summer - Sept and Oct when we typically have brush fires. It is devestating in so many ways to so many people.

[Willard Wells]

Very nice work Dan and you are spot on with the American farmer. They have had many issues for years and farm aid has helped many, but no water can not be helped with just money. The bank needs water rather than cash. Thanks for a great piece.

[dan]

Willard, Thank you for your kind words. Things are actually backwards; California has drought and Pennsylvania is getting pounded with thunderstorms and flash floods. Too bizarre. take care...dan

[AaronFreitas]

You make great points Dan... so much wasted and so much ruined by humans that it's embarrassing to see. If we can't get water to the farms in California you're going to see more and more of this around. Good write my friend :)

[dan]

Aaron, Thank you for your perceptive review. Farmers are going bankrupt and that affects so many other industries and workers, it's really sad. But what's the solution? Quit using oil and gas? How can this destruction be capped? Too many unanswered questions. take care...dan

[AaronFreitas]

Way too many unanswered questions... I work on my families ranch right now (almond farmers) and my grandfather just put in 8 new pumps going to have to pump their own water since none from the rain.. but it's either pay and put all these in or let it go to waste and theres a lot of farmers just giving up.

[Robert]

So much natural land wasted by people, it would take years ad years to go back to the way it was, such a shame. I sense the resentment of this in your piece Dan.

[dan]

I hate giving the younger generations the world in the condition that it is in. Mankind has destroyed vast parcels of what used to be pristine lands. Thank you for your viewpoint. take care...dan