Poetry Corner: Kwesi Bissue on Farmers in the Field

The Essence of Farming

Farming is a profound expression of life, rooted in the earth and sustained by the cycles of nature. It encompasses the fields of yields, where springs and sprouts flourish, and grains and nuts grow in abundance. Tubers and fingers, roots and fruits—each element plays a role in this intricate dance of growth. From apple to pineapple, from berry to strawberry, from yam to cocoyam, from avocado to potato, from cocoa to coconut, and even from akple to tuo zaafi, farming is a testament to the diversity of life.

The Farmer's Dedication

The farmer is a figure of unwavering determination. The cold morning could not hold him in bed after the first cockcrow. The dew could not deny his due, as he embarks on his chosen duty. The rising sun could not shut his reason for rising before sunrise. Wild weeds could not weaken his will to weed the field. He sows his seed in the morning, and his hand does not rest until the evening. After the rain, he casts his seed beneath the earth, and many days later, he finds more grains.

He watches not the wind so he sows seed, and he looks not at the clouds so he reaps bountiful harvest. He faces the vagaries of the weather, even when the drought is not in doubt. He borrows in the season of scanty harvest and sorrow in the season of satiating glut. His work measures his worth, but their words measure his worth too. “He is only worth the wealth from the earth. His place belongs in the fringes and corners.” Their worth measures his worth, but his work measures his worth.

The Struggles of the Farmer

His best produce must proceed to the market place for a fairly unfair deal. The crumbs must he keep as a staple for a family meal. His first fruits must fill up the market place, while his lean fruits must fill up his family plates. The middleman meddles with his prosperity, and the price of his bag of rice sees no rise. What they pay for those tubers is only a pittance. His vegetables are getting rotten, so they pay next to nothing.

The Significance of Farming

Farming is the oldest occupation, when creation entrusted man with the cultivation of the vegetation. It is the noblest profession, where returns smack of nought corruption. Farming is the closest link to nature, where nature multiplies the seed of the planter to feed the eater. Farmers farming afield…Ayekoo!!!