'Signs On A Fence Post' Poem by Linda Winchell

Saw an old farmer… taking down his fence posts
And nailing some signs… upon each one.
I stopped to ask him…”What ya doin? ”
“All that work….doesn’t look like too much fun.”

There seems to be nothing wrong with the ones you have
Why then are you replacing the entire row?
Did your prize bull get out or something?
Tell me sir… I’d like to know!

Well… you see my little curious child
You’re right…there is nothing any one can see.
But the problem lay within me dear
Those…sinful and disobedient parts of me.

I’m hanging up signs of what our Lord commands
Like Piety…Love and Grace
And nailing them all to some newer posts
In my life… I needed to replace.

While I was looking at my neighbor’s fence posts
And commenting… on just how awful they had looked.
It was God who showed me…all of my rotting ones
And that’s really… all it took.

So rather than replace just one
I am taking time to…replace all with new ones in the ground.
So that when I take a look…and judge another’s sins
I will see only mine…
In which I’ve…. planted in the ground.

By: Linda Winchell
Copyright: 2009