Farmers - A poem

They’re a special breed

A quiet, hard-working lot

People from towns afar

May or may not

Know what farmers do

From daylight until dark

Meeting needs never voiced

And always hit the mark.

The shed’s alive and buzzing

Combs glide through woolly fleeces

Willing hands all take part

Parents, uncles, nieces

A year’s work on the boards

Skirted, classed and baled

Vital skills of generations

Learned, practiced, nailed.

City business managers

Strut their corporate gear

Think of the farmers

Who raised sheep to shear.

Here’s an Aussie barbecue

The sizzling grill awaits

Lamb chops with sausages

And delicious juicy steaks

With a dash of spicy sauce

Meat that comes from where?

‘Pass the bread and salad please

There’s plenty for all to share.’

These beloved cuts of meat

Don’t come from outer space

Farmers tend to livestock

And run a rural place.

Up and down the paddocks

Ploughs and tractors toil

Sowing crops in the hope

Rain brings life to soil

Taking such a gamble

With seasons and their flaws

To feed our hungry nation

And those beyond our shores.

Munching on some muesli

It comes to us by truck

Imagine those dear farmers

Their fate depends on luck!

In this land of plenty

The shelves are full and packed

With nutritious fruit and veggies

Freshly ripe and stacked

Ready for the shoppers

To buy, take home and eat

Tasty meals and dessert

Crispy, crunchy, sweet!

When enjoying such delights

Grapes, lemons, limes

Don’t forget the farmers

With crops on trees and vines.

Farmers work so hard

It’s not an easy road

To feed and clothe our nation

Is quiet a heavy load

They often go unnoticed

By us who need not see

Taking them for granted

And yet this mustn’t be!

Folks who live in towns

May not understand

The service of our farmers

Working on the land

It is rather easy

And not such a deal

All they really need to do

Is be glad for every meal

Relish the aroma

Of curried lamb shanks

Great Australian farmers

Deserve our heartfelt thanks!

EDWINA SMITH

I am a retired nurse/midwife from Canberra. I enjoy writing poems with rural themes.I write poems about subjects that I have great admiration and respect for. Farmers come to mind and I wrote 'Farmers' to draw attention to their hard work and dedication to feeding our nation. Many people in cities take so much for granted, including our wonderful farmers. I wrote 'Farmers' to pay tribute to them and to let them know how much they are valued.