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Farmer, 1938
- Southern Illinois University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
Farmer, afterBenShahn’sSundayPainting AslightmanstandsinafieldintheMidwest inhisSundaybest—whiteshirtandsuspenders, blackhatwithgrosgrainribbonatthecrown. Hecouldhavebeenoneofmygrandfathers thoughtheywere“menofthecloth,”notfarmers, andthismanisnoparticularman. Bushyeyebrowsprotrudefromunderthebrim, hisheadturnedfromyousoyoucannotsee hisface,hiseyes.Heisthekindofman whoisnotawareofyouoreveninterested inhowyouseehim,whichisonlyinprofile. Whatstrikesyouishisstance,hisoutline againstthelandscape,though“against”isn’tright. Inthisfallowfieldofdrygrass,sandyloam, bitsofscrubgrowth,heisneitherapartofthefield norapartfromit.Heisnotyetold,notyetgrey, thoughthereisaspreadathismiddle andaslumptohisshouldersfromleaning intothewind.Here,eveninhisSundayclothes, heisnotoutofplace.Infact,hewearsthisplace comfortably,histhoughtstakingonthehue oftheskyascricketschorusthedusk, hisstridestirringupbrightcloudsoffireflies. Handsclaspedathisback,onehandstandsout enormous,outofproportion,because one’sdesiresalwaysexceedone’sgrasp. Heseemsatpeace,perhapsthinkingabout hisstrappingsons,theworld’sprogress,thedescent oftheBathysphere,feetintotheAtlantic. Itistheyearoftheball-pointpen.Threeyearsbefore PearlHarbor,beforemushroomclouds,even beforewefoundthosecavepaintingsinFrance. Heisalonebutnotlonely.Hekicksataclodofdirt. Thelandstretchesout,endlessbeforehim. ...