Walking in Florence makes me wish
for the occasional corn bowing
at June due south of Milan
not far from the Indiana line.

Not a soybean here in sight,
although to judge from the food,
tomatoes must be plentiful
somewhere around here.

And the barns! Cut in
Cesarean sections from marbled
wombs of these hollowed hills,
stones worn cornstalk smooth

now abandoned, barely surviving
the years without even one
rotten timber to serve sanctuary
for dispossessed swallows.

Dennis O’Dohertie
THE DECLINE OF THE CLAM

The decline of the clam, God damn
The decline of the clam, God damn

Well, I go out there digging just about everyday
But lately all I ever seem to pull up is a bunch of stuff that doesn't pay
 can't go on this way
What the hell is happening to this good ol' bay?

The decline of the clam, God damn
The decline of the clam, God damn

A dwindling harvest, a dwindling industry
People say don't worry 'cus today we got technology
But I think I better find me a new job, maybe I'll go cut down some trees
Please Mister give me something to do, my family is on their knees

The decline of the clam, God damn
The decline of the clam, God damn

Out on the Long Island waters, yeah that's where I feel free
It's the only time this freak'in world has ever given me equity
Everybody says that there seems to be something wrong with me (and all us clammers)
They say we're stupid, but they'll never see what we have seen (six o'clock in the morning coming out of the canal in the fog...)
                                     
The decline of the clam, God damn
The decline of the clam, God damn

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