Dirtland Poet

Not everybody has a farmer
for a grandfather
and that is why
there are so few poets
in the world.
Not everyone gets told
“This isn’t just dirt
you’re walking on,
not just any dirt,
and not just for
turning fingernails black.
This dirt is where you come from.
This dirt goes through you
and is in you all the time.
You like to eat
your grandma’s bread
try doing it without the dirt
it grew from.
When you drink milk,
thank the cow
that ate the grass
that rose from this dirt.
You like red steak
try getting it
without the dirt
that went into it.
You learn to treat dirt right.
And you can start
by calling it soil,
and remember to bless
all the crawlies
that keep it stirred
and don’t forget to kneel down
and thank the sun it came from.”
-Dwayne Thorpe