Burnin Stalks
by: Verne Garrison
Valley Park, Mo 10-27-06
D
Late in the fall, after the shuckin was done,
A
The whole family would go to the fields.
D G
We took rakes, and matches and a kerosene jug
D A D
Just us, no wagons, no wheels
D
We would rake all the stalks into rows
A
Line them up with the wind
D G
Drop a match on the coal oil spot
D A D
It was then that the fun would begin
D
The leaping flames would follow the smoke
A
Crackin and poppin corn sparks into the dark sky
D G
We were burning the trashno joke
D A D
So when we plowed next spring the ground would be dry
D
On the cold fall nights, wed hug the fire
A
Staying close enuf to stay warm
D G
Wed keep runnin and burnin till the work was done
D A D
Helping out, when we were just kids on the farm
D
Now I can still smell the heavy smoke,
A
And some say we did more harm than good
D G
But the memories I have of poor farm folks
D A D
Things turned out a lot better than we thought they would