Dreams of America II: Johnny's Dispair

Johnny works steady, he toils the earth,
Bringing forth food from the place of his birth,
Often long hours, an non-ending rite;
His future lay ‘fore him, the Heartland, his might.
Hard work, he’s told, will give him his worth.

Dinner is lain, by Sue with good care,
He and his family sit down for a prayer;
“Please Lord deliver us, from our bad plight,”
“We always are thankful and do things just right.”
The bankers still hound, to their despair.

Father before him, and Dad’s father too,
From a long line of farmers, of which now are few,
Wheat fields and corn stalks reach far out of sight,
Folks and their children start working first light.
“I hear there are migrants coming, of which we should rue.”

Mothers are worried, the kids do not stay,
“We used to have family, it’s no longer this way.”
“The Heartland is changing, our budgets are tight,”
“Big business has robbed us like thieves in the night.”
Family run farming is passing away.


by Rodney Alan Crater
Copyright ©2007 Rodney Alan Crater