Gleaning
By Ann Anspach
Gleaning down through history
Long and sacred traditions
leaving behind small pieces
of a bountiful harvest
for the alien, orphan and widow
nourishing their poor bodies
as they do the best they can
in a world gone cold and cruel
Bukowski once said that
goodness can some time be found
in the middle of hell
and I must admit that
parts of the Holy Bible
seem cruel and cold to me.
Yet, I find throughout
Deuteronomy and Leviticus
Ruth and Jeremiah
They're gleaning, always gleaning
Harvests shared with strangers
bringing warmth and bringing light
where none had been before.
Much like those distant ancestors
the gleaning continues still
warming hearts and nourishing bodies
I've seen their smiling faces
as I've eaten at their table.
If there is a god out there
then surely those who share
the bounty of a harvest
will be blessed a thousand-fold.
Sharing food and sharing kindness
with society's downtrodden
the alien, orphan and widow
the homeless and addicted
never turning a blinded eye
I feel our ancestors before us
I feel their spirits in the grain
I just wish our elected leaders
could feel those spirits, too.
-In honor of Merrymeeting Gleaners