The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-01-05
Poetry
NIL DEsPERANDUM.
A Farmer's Pathetic soliloou

A Farmers Pathetic Soliloquy.
When the times are so hard, with no chance to
There is nothing a fellow can do but to change
His manner of living to suit the condition,
And haul IN his horns to a narrower range.
As nothing is left me, this side Of creation.
But to fume and to fret If l yield to my state,
I'll take the best course for my ease and my
And submit, like a man, to the fat of fate.
Undistqrbed by the ways of the world, with its
I'll create, BY myself, a pure world of my own,
And with D1rds and with varmints and other
That don't cheat, nor can't swindle, III dwell
all alone.
I'm as near to the God of the world and creation
As was ever enjoyed by the absence of man,
AAd can worship the things of Ills hand with a
ferYOr
Not felt when 1 mingled with nothing but
sham.
Here in this dale, while 1 dream of corruption
Dried oaks, like grim s~entinels will guard one
around,
And the brook, as it murmur all day with it's
viii soothe me at night with its lullaby sound.
The birds in the branches sweet cadence are
making
And the flowers all smile when they wake in
All natures astir from a sweet, dreamless
And greet me with truth at the days early
dawn.
The Thomas-cat's sQuau I'll improve and make
So that 'twilI be mellow and pleasant instead I;
AID his cat-a-Waul changed by such happy i'm
prOVement,
I'll think it a serenado there in my bed.
The wild hornet I'll tame to be social and
So hat he viii light on my nose and not sting +;
And the bat, that is said to be voiceless and
t~uneless,
I'll teach how to open bis mouth and to sing. I
The 'possqm III learn to be honest and truthful,
So that he viii never play 'possum" again
But with truth in his eyes, in his belly, per-
simmons,
He'll no longer let fraud be attached to his
name.
The skunk, with his incense so loud and knock
dOwnish,
Will be taught to respect and consider ones
Se that when he's providing about, he will rival
The sweetest OF flowers and smell like = rose.
The feas I'll convert from their habit of biting,
And ticks from the sin that they have to
adhere
I'll reform the familiar, free ways OF all var
minis
Whose habits are bad and unciviI appear.
Thus alone will 1 dwell, and with brutes as COM
Which some may deem cranky as well as
Turn my. back on the world, with its shams and
its follies,
To breath the sweet breath Of fair nature and
truth.
Though poor SIS Jobs turkey, my mouth shall
not water,
However inclined it may be to o'erfow
Or to make me go back on myself by base long
For things that my nature doth banker for so.
%, away from the thraldom Of riches and
However much I may hone for or covet the
III manage to throttle and hold in subsection
The wants that 1, else, might find hard to keep
tame.
Though hard it may be to stop poverty's craving
When he's sick of shortcomings and longs
III teach him to Craze without jumping his
pasture
In search of a new" one in which he may
range.
a virtue I'll make of necessities stfntfngs,
A trait that 1 otherwise meier would enjoy;
I'll strive on poor 4" riddles ~ my stomach TO
clog.
Ny wants I'll confine to my means and con-
With subdued il cIinations for what I can't get,
Ner enjoy, for to hone is the bane Of content
So, deprived of vain I~ongings, I'll live and not
The oorld, with it's Kingdoms, may toss with
And the clash of fell war between nations
The devil in general may stir up creation,
But no fuss will disturb the sweet Q~uietudS
here.
In short, a new Eden out here will 1 Establish,
With no snake to invade and to wheedle again /;
Where ebuIlience of joy unmOlested, unceasing,
Will make my life glide like a realized dream.
U. B. GWYNN.