The Pioneer Poem by Cameron Gallant

As he squints towards the sun
His old eyes water and the brown spots on his aged face ache
He does not know why
But he labors in the plains alone every day without complaint

As if he’s looking for something far away
His eyes scan the empty plains and hold an air of longing
For his lady he awaits
Although he has waited for too long, and now he is doubting

Once a pioneer, bright and ambitious
Ready for any challenge be it great or small
But now his hands shake
As he recollects the reason he now pays his labors to the earth

It was many years ago
And the future for him appeared to be enveloped in clouds
For as a young man he had no land
Upon which he could raise support and raise a family, and so his lady asked him

To travel west and cultivate the land
To prepare a life in which they could be successful and own land…

But now, the land has watched him grow old
Still waiting for his lady who never showed
He can’t help wondering what ever happened
And his eyes water as he searches for what he can’t know

Although inside him there is still hope
There is still hope

(Published in Print in 'DeSSerted Island: Poem Collection' - 2014)