we all need a butter churn

i think people were

more thoughtful, more philosophical

when they

had to churn butter,

or milk a cow,

or plow the lower forty.

you had all that time to think

things through.

there was more time

for reflection

when you

had chores to do.

fixing the pig pen,

shearing the sheep,

sewing another patch on 

a pair of trousers,

or greyed sheet.

sometimes it would take

all day

to climb up onto the barn

roof and hammer down

a board,

or straighten out the weather

vane.

and at the end of the day,

there was no energy,

no desire

to sit around and complain.

whatever was bothering you

was gone.