Le Paysan

The title of today’s poem, Le Paysan, is French for “peasant.”  In France, a peasant is treated with dignity and is respected as a fellow worker.  The photo that prompted my poem was taken by Kristin Espinasse, a writer and photographer extraordinaire.  The picture was part of a story she wrote on her blog, French Word-A-Day. Going to Kristin's website and reading her story will help you understand what my poem is trying to say.

“Le paysan” sitting quietly, reflects on life
Its purpose, its hardships, its pain and strife
In the autumn of life, memories fill his day
In the past, hard manual labor was his forte!

 Poverty-born into a war’s harsh aftermath
His window of life had to deal with its wrath
A fatherless home with a never ending need
A caring mother with hungry mouths to feed

Working in the fields, he took life in stride
With head held high, he labored with pride
Days were long; work was hard; pay was small
Whatever the hardship, he survived them all

This humble man reaps satisfaction from the fact
The values that guided his life are all still intact,
When asked how he would like to be remembered
 “I’m just a simple peasant,” he proudly whispered.

                                               Poem by Herm Meyer