I have been working on a cycle of poems inspired by looking at particular paintings. In this case, I was looking at a painting that featured a farmhouse. That made me think about the American farmer, bankruptcies, trade wars, the related news of the day and what to do to help the farmer’s situation.
Hemp, Hemp, Hemp, The American Plant
Hemp, hemp, hemp
Is coming back to American farms
This was never a wicked weed of evil
But a plant of wonderful charms.
It's a patriot's duty again to grow
Hemp, hemp, hemp,
The green friend, in row and after row,
As our forefathers did, not long ago
Of hemp, hemp, hemp,
A source so good
For fiber, oil and food.
Let the Chinese have their soy beans
To turn into tofu
But it's hemp, hemp, hemp seeds
For me and mine
To fill our bellies' needs,
The rest can all go screw.
Let every extra acre
Of hemp, hemp, hemp
Be planted,
And from that flora on our farms
A beautiful oil will flow,
CBD, that is,
Miracle cure,
Medical gold.
Hemp, hemp, hemp
For sandals, shirts and pants,
And shopping bags of permanence
We'll weave from this hardy plant.
For written words to last
200 years or more,
From Common Sense to Independence
Or a Constitution to score,
Let's make sure there is
Plenty of hemp, hemp, hemp
Paper in our stores.
We can save the American Farmer
With hemp, hemp, hemp
Growing to the sky!
And let's not forget
It's delightful cousin
The one that makes us high!
© 2019 Carl Scott Harker
You can find my most recent book of poetry (your cat will love it) on Amazon here: Poems by My Cat.