By and By

The sole of his boot, sunk into the earth's land
tow sack on his shoulder, palming seeds in his hand
he dropped them, he did, into the holes he had heeled
covering them tightly, hoping the crows wouldn't steal

And he stopped, placing one knee on the ground
pushing up his straw hat, he wiped sweat from his brow
How lucky, he thought, with sentimental pride
they were so blessed with this land,
blessed to live in this time

Then scooped it up, this soil belonging to him,
letting it fall through his fingers, feeling its richness with in
He teared, they did, well up in his eyes,
as he looked vastly around, he couldn't help but cry
For he would miss this, a farmer always was he,
going off to war, was not the way it should be
He'd promised his south, his duty to fight,
the Army of the Tennessee, soon would be his new wife
Yet what of his bride here, so young and kind,
yes, he must protect her, their home their life

So here he knelt, taking everything in,
etching all in his mind, for courage to win
And after he'd sworn, somehow, to get back home,
dropping the other knee, he sought the guidance of the Lord

by and by, he rose, heeling a hole again,
tow sack on his shoulder, palming seeds in his hand
He dropped them, he did, down two by two,
Johnny Rebel still had, so much he needed to do

Jun 28, 2009, © Dawn Michelle, All rights reserved. Authors Note: Civil War South, Farmers becoming soldiers....