A Mid-Winter’s Tale

It was the season before spring work; all is covered in snow,

‘tis the time we are frozen, when nothing will go.

The tractors are tucked, all snug in the shed,

in the hope that warm weather soon was ahead.

And dreaming of green crops and new record yields,

I could almost smell the dirt from freshly-plowed fields.

When all of a sudden I awoke with a start,

I knew that odd sound, I knew it by heart.

I flipped on the old yard light, it came on at last,

and throwing on my Carhartts, flew outside fast.

Where what to my sleep-weary eyes did I spy,

but a snow-covered semi, with seed piled high.

Not a little red sled with deer that were flyers,

but rather a cab-over Kenworth, with 18 new tires.

Inside sat a driver dressed in a red coverall,

who exclaimed, “It’s cold outside, you unload it all.”

I swung to my forklift and switched on to start,

but cold weather had come and ruined that thought.

In a spirit of hope and behind some old tin,

was a 4020 with a loader I thought was plugged in.

With a straight shot of ether and a mild curse or two,

it started with a pop and some smoke that was blue.

Now this jolly old driver, so chatty and nice,

chuckled steadily to himself, as I unloaded on ice.

As I pushed and I pulled on full pallets of cold seed,

I soon came to realize how much more I would need.

To the keyboard and mouse my fingers they flew.

The computer was quick, my new orders came through.

On bulk bags, on corn, on large flats and rounds,

on soybeans, on rootworm, on seed for new ground.

Once more, I put effort into my unloading labors,

for here was my seed, and more for my neighbors.

Freezing my nose, soon the trailer was bare,

then looking at my shed, wished the seed was in there.

Then sensing the end of his time here was near,

the truck driver jumped off his butt and flew like a deer.

As quick as a wink he flew to his warm cab,

leaving me mumbling about what a good job he had.

As he roared down my drive and faded into the night,

I could hear him exclaim,

“Happy Holidays to all, and fix your yard light!”

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