When my father-in-law, Ed, passed on to heaven in September of 2007 I woke up in the wee hours of the day of the funeral and sat down and wrote a poem for him. It was read by the pastor at his funeral and printed in our local paper.
Recently I was privileged to receive a phone call asking for permission to use it on an obituary for a local farmer. I was honored and touched by them wanting to use it and thought the readers of GRIT might like to see it. Let it remind you of the farmer in your life who has passed on to glory.Â
Close the Gate (For Dad)
For this one farmer the worries are over, lie down and rest your head,
Your time has been and struggles enough, put the tractor in the shed.
Years were not easy, many downright hard, but your faith in God transcended,
You raised a fine family, worked the land well and always followed the Son,
Hang up your shovel inside of the barn; your work here on earth is done.
A faith few possess led your journey through life, often a jagged and stony way,
The sun is setting, the cattle are all bedded, and here now is the end of your day.
Your love of God’s soil has passed on to your kin; the stories flow like fine wine,
Wash off your work boots in the puddle left by blessed rain one final time.
You always believed that the good Lord would provide and He always had somehow,
Take off your gloves and put them down, no more sweat and worry for you now.
Your labor is done, your home now is heaven; no more must you wait,
Your legacy lives on, your love of the land, and we will close the gate.
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, I’m Nancy Kraayenhof. Share your comments, questions or ideas with me at Nancy861@msn.com
