Burnin Stalks

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