A poetic take on my transition from Infantry Marine, to humble homesteader.
I traded my bullets for seeds,
my rifle for a hoe
machine gun knowledge for garden lore.
I work the land like our ancestors once did,
like others that still do
toiling under the sun.
I traded my war face for something more sublime,
for a sense of peace, a sense of calm
a sense of certainty in an uncertain world.
I tossed out my combat boots for bare feet,
so I can always feel the dirt beneath me
the life-giving earth squeezing between my toes.
I turned in my plate carrier and Kevlar helmet--my cammies too,
for overalls that hug my body
for a wide brimmed hat with a stitched-on patch of Bob Marley.
Instead of ducking and dodging whizzing bullets over my head,
I duck for curious hummingbirds
I dodge the gentle bees.
I traded in who I had to be once upon a time,
rough, gruff… detached
because the land knows, it grows, it’s an extension of me.
Yes, I traded it all in... and I’d do it all over again.
Image Credit : 1
All other images are mine, taken with an HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S7.
Welcome home, Marine. Thank you for your service. So glad you are finding peace. I traded in my cavalry life for family life. Just got home from taking 3 pigs my kids and I raised to slaughter. It's a nice life.
In that case, well met and thank you for yours. And yes, it's a nice life. The work, the output, then all the rewards at the end. It really brings home that sense of accomplishment so many Veterans miss once out of the service.
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STOPI will admit.. I am not a person who stops and reads poetry, but your headline and title had me wondering.. so I stopped in.
Love the bare feet!
Your garden whenever the picture was taken looks so lush and healthy!
Then thank you for taking the time to read it! Garden pics were taken 2015, 2016 respectively. 2017 was a bust. This is right outside our front door, right here on our Missouri homestead. All organic, not a drop of chemical. Companion planting all the way!
Well I wish you success and good luck for the 2018 harvest!!!
Seeding life over seeding death. Anytime.
Absolutely.
Great poem! Content and flow. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the kudos and reading!
Inspiring. I love the line, "I traded in who I once had to be" Powerful stuff. THanks for the share. Following now!!!
Thank you!
Awesome garden there soldier, love the bare foot reconnecting with "Mother Earth"...
Yes. A supreme connection it is!
You found steemitchat yet?
No, not yet.
Inspiring writing Matt
This a quality write up and your garden looks great. Thank you for your service. I'll be following.
Thanks for all the feedback guys. I had sent this poem out to quite a few publications and got rejected. Not that I minded, rejection is inevitable and only makes you a better writer, but I've never really had any feedback on my writings. Thank you!
Beautiful poem and photos! Your garden looks very peaceful. Following.
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Ha! Well, feet make great shovels! Thank you for reading.