Bale
Gerek Tupy
I wrap my fingers under the twine,
and it stings my skin
branding my hand with blisters,
scorching pink flesh into charred white waste.
I pull up on thin ropes
that hold the bale together firm and strong.
They wrap the hay perfectly into a neat block,
like a present under the tree.
With a heave, the bale rises from the dusty ground.
The strain grinds into my arms.
My body sways, like grass in the savanna breeze,
balancing the weight.
I let the bale rest against my leg as
my old and hearty jeans absorb the needle-sharp hay.
Picture perfect farm boy in my prime,
I begin my march.
Steadily, I move away from the wagon,
approaching the mound.
Sweat leaks from my scalp into my eyes,
oozing down my vermilion cheeks.
At last, blinking away strain, I arrive.
Looking up, I swing a bale over my shoulders, and it
rockets, like David’s stone,
up to whoever is atop the mountain of bales.
I turn and pace back to the wagon.
Like the queen’s guards, I continue my work,
lugging hundreds upon hundreds of bales,
until the work is finished,
and I can rest.
Gerek Tupy is a second-year screen cultures major and writing minor at Ithaca College. As a creative, Gerek has dabbled in almost every medium and field, including film, theatre, music composition, choir, animation, and, of course, writing creatively, academically, and professionally. Gerek finds writing to be the perfect opportunity to channel his passion for the strange and unusual into a shareable, enjoyable art form. As a poet, Gerek has been writing since before he can remember. He has been featured in various publications, including The National Poetry Competition, and with the Local Gems: Ghosts Echoes and Shadows Anthology.