THE DIFFERENCE

Difference is a big word
The margins in people’s definitions of
Certain words and conditions
Can also be huge and beyond our imaginations
 
We may fly on an airplane to our destination
One hundred years ago it was not thought of
We have earned our vacation and fly south for a month or two
Back when, vacation was just continuing your work as usual
 
I drive to an airport.  A plane takes me to Minnesota
I transfer to a plane flying me to Fort Myers, Florida
My brother picks me up and we drive to Punta Gorda
We see different trees and an array of wet lands
 
Punta Gorda has many ponds, dug to provide land for building
We are in the land where the Seminoles once flourished
The Gulf of Mexico is visible and awesome
Hurricanes at one time or another ravished the land
 
Snowbirds pray for good weather and safety
They are not equipped to tend with problems
They look for and easy entry and exit
Back when, the farmers wanted water and tillable land
 
We drive on U.S. Highway 75 which would
Take you to Sault Saint Marie, Michigan if you chose
We could pick up Hwy. 41 to Copper Harbor
The early farmers wanted a safe dirt road to town
 
We pass boat yards and villages offering the lure of fishing
And can see the tall church steeples built years ago
We arrive home to unpack and then leave to shop
The farmers survived on their wits and own produce
 
We have nothing to do except read, write and lounge
There is no inconvenience except for excessive traffic
In the end we fly home to return to normal life
Before landing tractors working land have been witnessed
 
We seem obsessed with doing these things
The farmers by nature’s demand performed daily
We complain because of minor obstacles
Farmers had no time for that, but labored on

We wait for spring.  It will be here soon
The farmers hued beams and sawed boards
Gathered ice and stored for the summer
They prepared their tools for work 

We do not know the difficulty of their strife
But to think that we have it tough is a laugh
We too face difficulties but relatively speaking
Our life is a breeze compared to those brave pioneers

Stanski  
March 4, 2020 ^