Hello all! A quick post today to share a new poetry video.

It’s a (hot and humid) nostalgia trip: a well-worn poem of mine based on my summers of farm work as a teen. Almost all of it is true (I nearly crashed a John Deere learning to drive), but some aspects are fictionalised (the farm is sadly gone but as is often the case the poem generalises the reasons why; reality is frequently more complicated than poetry can neatly convey). Especially during these rainy Scottish summers, I deeply miss fresh corn, peaches, and tomatoes (and the strength I earned those summers from picking them).

As I share this poem, I want to acknowledge—working part-time on a family friend’s farm as a teen is very different to being a full-time farm worker—that is back-breaking, often seriously under-paid work. It’s so important to respect those who grow our food and advocate for better working conditions. This poem puts a rose-tinted cast on difficult labour, so I wanted this aspect not to get lost in the nostalgia. As always, a single poem is only one perspective on a multi-faceted world.

Thanks to the wonderful Mark Gallie for editing this video. I hope you enjoy the poem, and if you do, please do Like the video and Subscribe to our channel. It really helps us to continue documenting poetry and to sharing as widely as possible. Thanks! —Katie