The Land Girls Poem by Angela Wybrow

Many of us were townies through and through,
And, about country life, we hadn't much clue;
We came from places where the streets were mean,
And, never, in our lives, had we seen so much green.

Donning jumpers of green and breeches of fawn,
We milked the cows and we threshed the corn;
We pulled up potatoes and cut the kale
In all types of weather: rain, sun or hail.

We fed the pigs and we fed the cattle,
Whilst our men were away, fighting the battle;
With our blistered hands and blistered feet,
We shovelled manure and pulled up the beet.

With shovels or rakes or pitchforks in hand,
We all worked together to manage the land;
I can remember the scent of freshly cut grain,
And the scent of the grass, drenched in summer rain.

Fruit was picked and fields were ploughed,
Lambs were delivered - we had a good little crowd;
Compared to the men, us girls got less pay,
But we still carried on, slaving away.

All day long, us Land Girls, we toiled:
In the winter, we froze, and, in the summer, we boiled;
With our calloused hands and weather-worn faces,
The farmers, they put us all through our paces.

We stayed in hostels, not far from the farms,
Surrounded by beauty and old country charms;
Every morning, very early we'd rise,
Stretching, yawning, and rubbing sleep from our eyes.

We enjoyed seeing films and going to dances,
And, with the local lads, some of us took their chances.
Treasured memories now fill my mind
Of those special days that we left behind.