(1)
i am an old tractor
when i steam ahead
my cleats bruise earth
making the way ready
for seeds to meet sun

(2)
when i have turned to rust
a dinosaur for someone’s
roadside park
let those sun and rain
people remember the seeds
I helped them plant
and forget the bruises

(3)
let them shine
like great red
tractors roaring across
fields of earth

(4)
the worms do not
know us nor we
the worms in our steaming
brown light

(5)
bone happy bone dry
let me rust in the sun
of eyes that care

Richard Kirkwood (1931-2013) taught at UWEC for 35 years. He was a beloved friend, colleague, and teacher of many.