The Farming Gamble
By larry r Linville

My father taught me not to gamble.
He tried to make it very plain.
But he planted seeds in the spring
and gambled that it would rain.

He worked from dawn til after dark
and never traveled very slow
doing all within his power
to help all on the farm to grow.

Gambling’s getting something for nothing
but that’s not a farmer’s lot.
He works on the coldest winter day
and is there when its very hot.

To milk a cow in a barn that is cold
two hours before the sun rises
is a difficult way to begin
a day of hard work and surprises.

When he tries to sell what he’s raised
he has to take what he’s given
and settle for the best he can get
adjusting his method of livin’.

Something for nothing? – I think not
but there’s something down deep inside
that keeps him out there working
filled with a priceless pride.