A Day On The Farm

By Olyer W. Turner © 1991

Issue: November, 1991

Well I went to the barn, hurried thru the gate.
I must hurry with chores or to school I will be late.

I fed the horses nice fresh hay,
Fed the chickens corn so eggs they would lay.

I fed the cows fodder and dairy feed
So they would give the milk we need.

Then upon the udders I began to pull.
Soon my two gallon bucket was full.

Now the hogs are hungry there is no doubt,
But oh look at the trough, hogs have gnawed the bottom out.

No school for me today.
I must make a new trough right away.

I gathered up my hammer, saw and nails.
Hogs was roaring, about to tear down the rails.

My visiting foster brother thought I was a foolish child.
What can I do to help? He said very mild.

You may carry the planks, if you don't mind.
So he gathered up the planks so very kind.

Well I know he was smiling behind my back
As I laid the plank upon the saw rack.

But I sawed and nailed the plank so tight
Then nailed the ends on just right.

Placed the trough, staked it down,
So hogs could not move it around,

Poured the slop into the spout.
Brother got down on knees to see slop pour out,

But not one drop did he see.
He got up and stared at me.

He went to house. Hung up his hat,
Said to his wife, "I never saw a child like that."

("I was a 12 year old school girl," says Mrs. Olyer W. Turner.)