Poem by Paul Guenette

Much More than Dust in the Air

Sahara’s hot sun, the millet stalks dry
This field’s exhausted, swollen bellies cry
Last year’s grain is gone this rain’s a must 
Harmattan blows through lifting red dust 

Senegal’s brown cloud wafts to the West
Topsoil bomb of our millet field’s best 
You see a russet pillow, a sunset fair
Network news says it’s just dust in the air

A breath makes a ripple on the ocean’s face
A New York woman in a state of grace
The price of a Starbuck’s coffee
It’s pocket change, Long Island toffee

The farmer learns, plants a living fence
Trees fix the soil, leaves make it dense
The water holds, garden crops endure
Back comes the topsoil, this food’s secure

It’s so much more than just a speck of dust
You know who needs it more, and you know that you must
It’s the right thing to do, the right way to live
It won’t break your bank to break down and give

Click on the file below to listen to Paul read his poem:

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Paul Guenette is a recently retired economic development manager with expertise in international agribusiness. Mr. Guenette designed and managed development programs in a career spanning 45 years and 90 countries. His career, and this poem, were inspired by his stint as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Senegal.

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