My friend, Dan, shared an essay by his son. I loved reading it, and I wanted to share it with you. -Brian

I ♥ Soil

Soil, how could I
Have forgotten you?
You help with the harvest,
And feed the animals too.

Your rich nutrients
Help me grow my crops,
So I can feed my family,
If the drought never stops.

You give homes to animals,
Let them burrow through your layers…
(If you would keep the prairie dogs out, though,
That would answer my prayers!)

You humus gives food
To the plants in the ground,
And was once decomposed
By this worm that I found!

You have helped everybody
In so many ways,
I feel that I haven’t
Given back much these days.

I vow to keep my animals
From over grazing,
Use more contour farming,
And that sort of thing!

To save you, I’ve gone through
Hard work and much toil,
It’s hard going without you,
How could I forget soil?