Explore "Land Clearing" by James McIntyre on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
The first winter which I did spend / In Canada was with a friend, / And when the snow had passed away / Quite early in the month of May.
Friend started off for a barn raising, / And told me to get stumps ablazing, / Around each stump I heaped a pile / Of roots and junks of wood so vile.
For he wished the field to clear / So it a crop of wheat would rear, / And there was one high withered pine / Which was full of turpentine.
As soon as I applied the torch, / Blaze quick did start and it did scorch / The fences, and the woods were nigh, / For the old tree it blazed on high.
I was the only man or boy / Near there that day and found employ / In saving of the house and barn, / Thus early fire fiend did me warn.
Fire started and with it a breeze / Carried the sparks 'mong leaves of trees, / I did work hard but for recompense / All was saved but a few rails of fence.
Man in spring logging oft awakes / From winter slumbers nests of snakes, / And listens to the music grand / Of bull frogs, our Canadian band.