(Valley View Farm, Iowa, circa 1928)
The lines of my body bend
In strength with the horses I rein.
Pronged plows shift with my feet,
Catching and lifting out weeds
Between the rows of corn.
Steady the eye on the angle of row
Steady the hands on the reigns
Steady the rump on the seat of the plow
Ready the feet on the plow guides.
Corn. Weeds. Corn. Weeds. Corn.
Always tracking to save the corn
Always shifting to dig out weeds.
Corn. Weeds. Corn. Weeds. Corn.
It is half a century ago and more
Since I drove those horses
And rode that plow.
The things I think about are different now
Yet I move in that arc of thought:
Steady the eye and hand and rump
Ready the feet to track and shift.
Corn. Weeds. Corn. Weeds. Corn.
Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes.
Lois Langland