Wild rainy weather once again,
\npouring off the windblown fells ,
\nwater filling up the muddy lane,
\nas undeterred, we take our walk.<\/p>\n
Down a favourite bridleway
\nfor horses, dogs, and walkers –
\nbut not many taking it today,
\njust us tiptoeing in the mud.<\/p>\n
Then, a thundering noise
\napproaching down the lane,
\nwe press into the hedge, as
\na giant tractor trundles past.<\/p>\n
Wheels, taller than us roll past
\nour noses, spraying water in
\nthe air. Why are they so vast
\nthese mechanical dinosaurs?<\/p>\n
Sodden fields corrugated by
\nthe tractor’s tyres, then spill
\ntheir muddy contents across
\nthe passing public roads.<\/p>\n
Pity poor shy earth worms
\ntoiling underground, when this
\nenormous weight solidifies
\ntheir dark ancestral home.<\/p>\n
Bring back the gentle horse
\ndrawn plough, the farmer at
\nthe reins, taking a slower way
\nto growing food again.<\/p>\n