Thursday, December 17, 2009

Poem by my daughter

Summer Break?

Every child in Iowa has detasseled some time in their lives
For the fortunate ones it was for a few hours
For the unlucky ones it's for the whole summer.

I wake up earlier than anyone should ever have to
Lube myself up with my SPF 3000
Splash on my supposed Bug repellent bug spray
Run my fingers through my hair while sprinting out the door.

Getting jammed onto a bug-infested bus
Practically lying across someone you don't know
Just to stay on the seat
Even though they smell of dirt and a plethora of different body sprays.

I meet Bri and we make fun of how "out of it" I am
Upon arriving at the field we "book it" as it's now known
We also "slow" it, yell at it, fall down on it, and sing as loud as possible.

Plucking or at least trying to pluck tassels
I find a tassel, I pull the tassel, I miss the tassel, I skip the tassel
Nightmares of the corpselike assistant, Tim murdering me tangle in my web of dreams
Only to have these almost confirmed the next morning.

We make up random nonsense words that everyone comes to use
We find out that a true friend will pick bugs out of your hair
That they will let everyone know when you faint on the machines
And that they won't mock you for screaming about a spider you thought you saw.
I also found out how unbelievely amazing air conditioning is

And how I am never detasseling again.

By Maddy

10 comments:

Southern Gal said...

You can tell I'm from the South. Detassel?

McVal said...

For those that don't know what detasseling is... There are seed companies around several midwest states that grow hybrid seed corn. They hire groups of kids to go walk thru the corn and pull the tassels off the tops of the stalks so the corn can cross-breed and pollinate. In Iowa, this is a big money maker for kids. My daughter earned enough to buy herself a great laptop and then plenty of spending money for the fall. Probably around $800 or so.

Macey said...

That's a great poem! Very talented.

Joanne said...

Hi there! Thanks so much for visiting my blog and becoming a follower! Enjoy! :)

Joanne @ Ready, Set, Craft!

Frances said...

Great poem!

Anonymous said...

I remember doing a presentation in Pleasant Plains,Illinois. I saw a school bus of kids heading out from town and asked a lady in my class what was happening. She told me all about how the kids made money detasseling. She was shocked I had never heard about it.

Doesn't sound like it is much fun!

Stopping by from SITS!

kado! said...

i was just about to say....What the HECK? but then I read your comment...thatnks for clearing it up!

...back home in NW WA the kids pick strawberries in the Summer for money (the middle school age kids)...and it SUCKS!

kshotz said...

Amen sista! I lost a shoe the day it was too muddy to take the machines into the fields.

I didn't eat corn for over a year after my week in the fields.

Urban Earthworm said...

That is great! I somehow managed to avoid detasseling in MI, though just about everyone I went to HS with did it.

It's an experience at least, right? Lol

KK said...

What talent! (and thanks for explaining, I didn't have a clue!)

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