Poem by Janet Cannon

day laborers

harvesting down the road today
at the pecan orchard big shaking
machines grab trees systematically

sending tons of the delicacy down
to sixty-cent an hour workers
who gather the festively strewn bounty

​into gunny sacks headed for the privileged
dining room tables on thanksgiving
far from where they are or will be

First published in:
The Texas Review
Sam Houston State University

Janet Cannon’s poems have been published in many literary journals such as the William & Mary Review (College of William & Mary), and the Berkeley Poetry Review (University of California)—among others. She is the author of the poetry book/chapbooks:  The Last Night in New York (Homeward Press), Percipience (Cross Cut Saw Press), and Day Laborers (Plan B Press). Janet has taught oral history writing workshops at the NYC Public Library (Chelsea Branch), and ESL at The New School in NYC and community colleges in New York and New Mexico—among other places. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa.

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