Tuesday 18 September 2012

"Village Life" (Almost Any Village in South East Asia)





The children sit
On the back of the water buffalo
Who is minding who?

The women sing
Rice planting songs
Knee deep in cool water

In the bird scarer’s hut
The babies sleep
Hanging in sarong hammocks

The planting done
A little gift of food and flowers
At the village shrine

The men drain the paddy
For the sun to warm the roots
Then flood again… the ageless cycle

When ripe the rice is harvested
Threshed and winnowed
There is no prosperity like a full granary

A harvest festival
A toddler is lost in the crowd
Found curled up safe with the water buffalo

Copyright © Res JFB 14/01/12


Borrowed Photograph.

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