Entitlement. What do I mean by that? What does that word mean to you? I've come to believe that's what is wrong in today's society. Entitlement. So many people believe they're "entitled" to have this or to do that without giving any thought to the other person.
Entitlement. These are the people we see every day now it seems running red lights or cutting someone off on the freeway. These are the people who steal from others. These are the people break into your house, who take a child, who go firing their weapons into crowds of people. Entitlement. These are the people who feel, for whatever misguided reason, that they are somehow better than the next person... who are entitled to whatever they please.
What follows is a poem I wrote for my husband to try to give a voice to what he was feeling when others felt they were mo
re entitled to his land than he was...
I look at the land around me,
And think of the history there,
Farming's a part of my legacy,
But does anybody care?
I've worked this land which surrounds me,
Since I was a wee little lad.
The journey's been a long one,
When the time comes to leave, I'll be sad.
Just like my father's father,
And those who went before,
There comes a day when you realize,
You just can't do it anymore...
The days are getting longer,
And the work is hard to bear.
My kids have left the farm now,
Finding easier work elsewhere.
Family farms are dying off,
A little more each year.
Who will be the first among you,
To shed a single tear?
You hide behind the pretense,
Of caring about the land.
Now I am on the defense,
My dreams are on sinking sand.
My body's growing weary,
And the costs are growing steep.
You still don't quite understand,
As my commodities run cheap.
As long as you can have your way,
It matters naught to you,
That my family and I have paved the way,
For city folks like you.
Despite generations of farming, it is sad to me to watch what sometimes happens when others move in. We had friends who had to sell their farm after a couple of subdivisions were built around their land. Soon 
people began complaining about the smells and the noise and the dust. They hired lawyers to stop them from doing what they'd done for generations and ran them out of business.
My husband, his brother, and some other neighboring farmers tried to sell some of their land. They were met with resistance by those who had moved out from the "burbs" to enjoy the countryside. Those same neighbors soon began lodging complaints with the township about the smell and the noise and the dust. Then they hired lawyers to stop us from selling. It was in litigation for several years until the economy took a dive and the company that was interested in buying the land went belly up.
I don't know if we'll ever be able to sell our land in our lifetime. But I wish people would stop to think how unfair this all is. Most farmers, contrary to what you hear on the news, don't make a ton of money — they get by. The middle man is the one making the money and so most farmers depend on being able to sell at least some of their land in order to make it through their later years.
Our neighbors want to be able to look at the scenery and enjoy it. That's fine by me, but why should it be for the farmer to continue to pay the price for their enjoyment?
"... the ending of an era and the turning of a page..."
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Comments: 59
I love your poem Marilyn.... I grew up on a farm and come from a long line of farmers so I can totally relate to it!!
Near Oxnard CA there is land where farmers grow five crops a year and urban sprawl keeps threatening to put it out of business. That is so very wrong. Dwellings can grow vertically but farming has to be horizontal. Farmers are a dying breed. Not many people want to work that hard for uncertain payback.
As for your poem, I am still wiping the tears from my eyes. You conveyed such incredible feeling with your words and gave a voice to what many many farmers are feeling today. Thank you so much for sharing.
We definitely take too many things for granted!
So because Gather will give a person points that equals dollars, anyone is entitled to steal photos from other photographers on the Internet so they can pretend its their photo and gather points??
I thinK not.
And if it wants close neighbors, it needs to be an organic farm.
And animals need sewage treatment like people do, if it's to be close to civilization . It's all mammal poop.
(I grew up on a farm so I have a lot of opinions about how "natural" they ARE NOT !!! )
There was no neighbor encroachment ... I'm just sharing that it was no life of Riley.
It was, however, a great place to raise our family and I'm happy to be here. =)
Marilyn M., May 20, 2009, 10:51am EDT
Exactly, Lee! Our kids' friends often came out to spend the night or a weekend and had to help with chores. Of course, they were often excited too about the opportunity to see a baby calf born. ;)
That is wonderful. And people do feel entitled to things that aren't theirs and I don't understand it a bit.
This is just a friendly comment to tell you that your content has reached 50 views and will now be removed from 50 Views Per Content Congrats.
Thank you, Meagan! That's wonderful news! Not sure if I've ever reached 50 views before. :)
Thank you, Cortney. It just amazes me sometimes how big a role that word plays in our day to day lives and interactions. Thank you, Meagan; that is wonderful news (and I think a first for me)! =)
This poem is very powerful and makes you really stop and think well written.
Thank you, Shaunee. How sweet of you to say so!
My deepest respect to the small farmers of our country. For generations they have been the backbone of our nation. My wife grew up on a small farm in eastern Washington State. Most small farms in that area have given way to corporations run by the chemical companies. We have been concerned for years about the vanishing small farms but few seem to care. Our country will never ever replace what it will lose when the last small farmer takes the keys out of his tractor. My friend your poem should be copyrighted and given to every FFA & 4H program in the country. We need to stop the hemoraging. This post needs tobe sent to every congrssman and senator in D.C. Nice work my friend........PIF
Oh, Kevin... you're such a sweetheart! Thank you so much for your kind words. I am deeply moved by what you said. Given your background and the things I've seen your write, this means a lot.
this just makes me sad. My dad and his family had a farm, when my Grandma diedd, my uncle took it over and could not afford to keep it going, they sold it, I wish I would have had the money to keep it in the family. most of the property is now houses, but the main farm still stands, it is considered a centinnal Farm.
I hear you, Kimberly. Farmland is more than just a piece of of earth to a farmer and his family; it's a piece of them — their heart and soul. Most farmer's I've known have not given them up without a lot of thought and struggle first.
POINTS NATION!
The poem is wonderful. I agree no one realizes what the farmer endures. It saddens me that the farmers have to sell their land at all. I wish that the farmers made better money for all of their hard work.
Stopping by from Points Nation
Thank you for your support, Sharon. =)
Great poem! Points Nation
Thank you, Janie!
Love your poem. I was never a farmer or even family of a farmer. My grandfather did believe if you didn't raise it or grow it you didn't eat it so we did have enough animals and such for the family when we lived close by him. Growing up I remember kids I went to school with being children of farmers. Now some of them have left their farms as well.
PN by the way
Thank you, Renee!
I moved into a small town that was facing rapid growth. The next town over had less than 5000 residents. They had rapid growth, too. I was furious years later when a bunch of newcomers were trying to get rid of the eyesore on one of the main roads. That property was pretty bad but had been there for decades before the newcomers. Why should they decide after buying their properties that someone else should change?
stopping by for PN
Unfortunately, Elizabeth, I think this sort of thing happens more than we'll ever know. Thank you for reading and responding to my post. =)
Your poem was wonderful, made me sad, use to be we all worked for what we had! Not thinking it all had to be given to us! I'm dropping by from Points Nation! ;-)
Thank you, Ginger, from the bottom of my heart.
so true
points nation
Thank you, Susan.
There had been some horror stories in the 80s and 90s about farmers losing their shirts and their farms and for what?
So that conglomerates can practice business farming - and the consumer loses out by getting food that conforms to a standard - a standard for shipping and handling, not for sustaining health.
btw - pif