Sunday 8 April 2012

We Spray The Fields And Scatter... (It's that time of year again)


Harvest Hymn by John Betjeman.

We spray the fields and scatter
The poison on the ground
So that no wicked wild flowers
Upon our farm be found.
We like whatever helps us
To line our purse with pence;
The twenty-four-hour broiler-house
And neat electric fence.

All concrete sheds around us
And Jaguars in the yard,
The telly lounge and deep-freeze
Are ours from working hard.

We fire the fields for harvest,
The hedges swell the flame,
The oak trees and the cottages
From which our fathers came.
We give no compensation,
The earth is ours today,
And if we lose on arable,
The bungalows will pay.

All concrete sheds around us
And Jaguars in the yard
The telly lounge and deep freeze
Are ours from working hard.

11 comments:

  1. Happy Choc-o-Fest, everyone; for THAT is what today has become. When I visited my local supermarket on Friday, I could hardly believe the mountains of the stuff!!!

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  2. Once upon a time the Christians smothered the Pagan festivals with their own meaning and drove the Pagans out. Now we are surely in the latter stages of a similar process with Commerce driving out the Christians. Happy Lindt Day! Merry Cadbury Fest!

    I'm so much happier since I became an Every Seventh Day Tescoidian - I can worship online sometimes and they delivery religion right to my door in little bags! Mind you, the tithe has increased from the Christian 10% to the Corporate "All that you possess and more".

    May the blessing of the Cream Egg be upon you.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you TOW. And may King Chocolate reign forever in Wonga/Wonka World.

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  3. Then there's Christmas - "Christians roasting on an open fire..."

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  4. Can't you hear Mother Nature weeping?

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  5. Jacqueline hit it spot on...

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  6. I was singing along just to make sure it all fitted - very clever - and such a sad indictment on the world today.

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  7. Perfect. Will make our daily animals/milking/pig/garden/ chores more pleasant today. Now must go and help the GK's eat the 100 pounds of chocolate some idiot left them for Easter. Ham is in the oven we will eat at 2.

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  8. Let the wild things grow, says I ( in a meek voice barely heard over the pesticide sprayer).

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  9. I read the above comments and didn't get it so had to go back and re-read the poem. I'm slow I guess. Nothing about "Christians burning" or an "eggs only" holiday hit me in it. I was just sad about pesticide. I'll live in my Pollyanna world I guess, thank-you. -and Happy Easter.
    Then I went back and read about your dogs new chew proof bed..he need a pillow to make it more comfy.
    And then I read about Stravinsky...that had to be an "ah-ha" life's moment!! I was hugely impressed. But then I usually am, Cro.

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  10. yes, I hear the earth weeping. The people are too stupid to know what they are giving up....they are consoled with their chocolatey abundance.

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