Comment from w.j.debi

Excellent

You create some strong imagery of the farm life and all the hard work that goes with it. Reaping the harvest makes it all worth it in the end. And then we repeat the process.

 Comment Written 14-May-2020

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reply by the author on 15-May-2020

Thanks so much for the excellent review and all your encouraging comments supporting the poem. I think you got what I was trying to say. estory

Comment from susand3022

Excellent

It's a way we may be partially getting back to, who knows. We all may need gardens, those of us who can grow them, to help sustain us during the cold months, so that the city people can live too? Who knows?

 Comment Written 04-May-2020

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reply by the author on 05-May-2020

Thanks so much for the excellent review and your interesting perspective on the poem. I often think of how much old common sense practical knowledge we have lost as a society. People are so ingrained into this life of going to the store to buy food...what will happen when the store doesn't have enough food? estory

Comment from Gypsy Blue Rose

Excellent

free verse
Land: Pt. 2; Groundwork
by estory

Hello, my friend,

A fine free verse about your love for the land and that lifestyle. It's beautifully written. I love free verse. Good job!

 Comment Written 03-May-2020

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reply by the author on 04-May-2020

Thanks so much for the excellent review and for your support of the poem. estory

Comment from Sally Law

Excellent

Another beautiful poem, dear estory. You, my friend, are a true Americana writer. Your story evoke such imagery and history. I can almost see and taste the the fresh vegetables. My mother grew up on a farm and she would sit out a cold plate in the summer with ice. On it she put green onions and tomatoes. We were so poor that oftentimes this was our dinner maybe with a baked potato added as a filler.
Sending you my best today as always,
Sally xoxo

 Comment Written 03-May-2020

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reply by the author on 04-May-2020

Thanks for the excellent review and for your perspective on the poem. I really like to read all these little slices of life that the poem brings back to life for readers; it's amazing to me how much a poem can take flight and create so much emotion. I enjoyed your review and the thoughts about your family. estory

Comment from Sandra du Plessis

Excellent

A very well-written poem about the farmer and his specialized work to plough and sow and reaping the harvest at the right time is very important to know and to make sure it's all don properly to get the best out of it.

 Comment Written 03-May-2020

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reply by the author on 04-May-2020

Thanks for the excellent review and for all your wonderful comments supporting the poem. Glad it conjured up this admiration for the work that goes into making our food. Everyday. estory

Comment from LisaMay

Excellent

Your poem pays homage to good honest toil on the land of our fathers - the simplicity of following the rhythms of the seasons, like a sacred covenant.

Correction:
and a living to (be) made out of it. (or change 'made' to 'make')

 Comment Written 03-May-2020

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reply by the author on 04-May-2020

Thanks so much for the excellent review and for your wonderful comments supporting the poem. I'm glad the poem captured that feeling of honest work, and faith. estory

Comment from Robert Zimmerman

Excellent

Hello estory. This is well written for reverse describing the hard work that is required to make a farm work. In the first stanza you have the evaluation of the farmer of how to work the field he is entering. You do a great job of explaining the process that he uses to get his crops in. People that don't farm, don't understand farming.

This is a great narrative explaining the mind of the farmer.

Robert

 Comment Written 03-May-2020

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reply by the author on 04-May-2020

Thanks so much for the excellent review and for your wonderful comments and perspective on the poem. I'm glad that these elements of honest work and faith came through; so often we take this for granted, and I wanted to pay homage to the forgotten farmers of America. estory

reply by Robert Zimmerman on 04-May-2020

You're welcome. Well done.

Comment from thaities, Rebecca V.

Excellent

I enjoyed the meat of your poem. It is right on the mark. My mind does not work well in poetry, but I am trying to learn how to read and enjoy it. I did enjoy yours.

 Comment Written 02-May-2020

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reply by the author on 04-May-2020

Thanks so much for the excellent review and for your wonderful comments supporting the poem. My advice is, read, read and read. Start with some classics, some romantics like Coleridge, Keats and Wordsworth, and then get into the more modern poets like Yeats, WC Williams and Heaney. Finally you can enjoy more contemporary poets like Levertov and Anderson. it's a great art form. estory

reply by thaities, Rebecca V. on 05-May-2020

Thank you so much for your advice. Will do.

Comment from Ashtar Zaidi

Excellent

Great Job... !! I really enjoyed it, deep ideas, your energy is infectious, the way how you explained it was fantastic, thank you so much for sharing it, God Bless You... ~Ashtar~

 Comment Written 02-May-2020

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reply by the author on 04-May-2020

Thanks so much for your enthusiastic review and your encouraging remarks. I'm glad the poem was so inspiring for you and that the energy of the poem came through. estory

reply by Ashtar Zaidi on 04-May-2020

It's my pleasure :)

Comment from Gloria ....

Excellent

I shall check out Seamus Heaney's work. I find myself preferring the returning to nature and gardening in my older years. A city holds little appeal anymore.

A strong opening as you carry forward with the deep knowledge of the land and farming that comes part through learning from others and part through personal experience.

The due from the harvest of bread and wine as a time honoured way of life is most gratifying.

A most enjoyable read today. :)

Gloria

 Comment Written 02-May-2020

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reply by the author on 04-May-2020

Thanks so much for the encouraging remarks and your five star review. I'm glad that these elements of honest work and fitting into traditions and family came through, as well as faith. And I'm glad the poem was so moving for so many people. estory