Got here from the dirt
You mean the mud?
No, mud had water
We had none.
Salt of the earth
Cause our fields were salted
Killing crops, growing on nothin’.
Hard packed soil
Made into clay
Building walls to make us stay.
Going down by the river Jordan?
Nah, we keep our feet in the soil
Touching grass
Cause we working off our ass
Reach up to the sky
Kiss your wishes goodbye
Stay here on the ground
where you can see the horizon
The same fields you run in
Is the same fields, in the end, you’ll lie in.
This is from a dVerse prompt: Your challenge is to choose one of the basic four elements [earth, water, fire, air] and explore it.
Obviously, I chose earth. One, because I think it is one of the more overlooked elements in poetry and second because I had sort of a gritty (no pun intended) vibe to my muse. I hope you enjoyed!
Feel free to check out a second poem I did with what first popped into my head when I saw the prompt. It has to do with an animated show and if you’re a fan of the show I’m sure you know which one. 😁 Read the poem: Then Everything Changed here.
The Author Stew webpage - Stories & Poems 
I can see this from a dustbowl perspective.
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Interesting perspective. The whole dust in the wind thing going on. Thanks for reading!
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the ending got to me, strong piece.
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Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it and it spoke to you.
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Dust to dust, eh. We rise out of it just to tumble back in. I call that earth humble. Well said.
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The trick is to lift yourself above the dirt so when you do tumble back in you can do so with the experience of flying. 😉
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I’m glad you chose earth, Stew, as only a few poets did. It is a gritty element, and I love the way you explored it in all its forms. These lines made me feel sad:
‘Stay here on the ground
where you can see the horizon
The same fields you run in
Is the same fields, in the end, you’ll lie in.’
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Yeah, I think earth is much less explored in poetry, especially in it’s dirty parts. There is some oomph in getting into an earthy mindset.
I’m glad those lines could bring forth an emotion for you. One of the highest compliments for a poem. ☺
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You’re most welcome.
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