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Cropped Apologies to Rudyard Kipling

If you can fight Monsanto’s sterile sowing,
deny blight warnings, nor fear climate change,
if cash in hand exceeds debts most's greed's owing,
if you’re the early bird with worms in range.
If you stay steady when winds may be blowing
subarctic currents shiveringly strange,
if you can soar above false walls while knowing
true sharing's bliss which cheaps deep love's exchange.

If you can fly your kite despite snow falling
avoiding kites' and kittyhawks' harsh call,
if you won't compromise with inner calling,
nor flash your feathers - pride before the fall.
If you can weather frost or luck appalling,
tail waggle far from gaggling geese, nor stall
friends' search for perch beyond the masses mawling,
refusing vested interests' greedy gall.

If you can keep your crops when all the nation
rails, vain assailing creepy crawly bugs,
If you can thrive when most lives' reputation
is knocked for skittles, stumped by snails and slugs,
If you can sow, show though you stay surrounded
by failing harvests sere upon the stem,
where hopes unfounded, speculations grounded,
face farmers who through jealousy condemn.

If greenhouse gases can't delay your planting,
with fallow Brussels' edicts all ignored,
If CO² you compensate by chanting
an incantation to the heavens poured.
If snail trails slip upon your sensor networks,
if nano tech protects fields' fullest yield
which on the Futures markets harvests net perks
which from the tax collector are concealed.

If you resist the urge to emigration,
and stand your ground around world vision wide,
if neither outside show nor occupation
contradict the worth that's found inside,
if neither dissipation, narrow nation,
priorities are held, if you abide
in peace with self, nor fear self-revelation,
your's is free flight, by day and night hopes ride.

If day by day you grow more give than taker,
remembering each offspring's offsprings, kind,
if all return to nest at rest, God's acre
in harmony despite the daily grind.
If you farm through the seasons, thanking maker
from man's pollution, safe solution find,
yours is the race, you, ace, may need pacemaker
for luck can turn, earn bridges burned behind.

(c) Jonathan Robin 23 November 2007 revised and expanded 2 February 2009
Parody Rudyard Kipling - IF

for previous version see below

Cropped Apologies to Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your crops when all the nation
rails, vain assailing creepy crawly bugs,
If you can thrive when most lives' reputation
is knocked for skittles, stumped by snails and slugs,
If you can sow, show though you stay surrounded
by failing harvests sere upon the stem,
where hopes unfounded, speculations grounded,
face farmers who through jealousy condemn.

If greenhouse gases can't delay your planting,
with fallow Brussels' edicts all ignored,
If CO² you compensate by chanting
an incantation to the heavens poured.
If snail trails slip upon your sensor networks,
if nano tech protects your fields providing yield
which on the Futures markets harvests net perks
which from the tax collector are concealed.

If you can fight Monsanto’s sterile sowing,
deny blight warnings, nor fear climate change,
if cash in hand exceeds debts most's greed's owing,
if you’re the early bird with worms in range,
If you free farm through seasons, thank your maker
from man's pollution, safe solution find,
yours is the race, you, ace, may need pacemaker
for luck can turn, earn bridges burned behind.

23 November 2007

poem by Jonathan Robin
Added by Poetry Lover
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