Dying Fields, Dying We

Money may grow from trees,
But they don't really help trees grow
We keep telling the government
But, our needs, they ignore

Yes, subsidies and waivers help
They make the cross lighter
But the burden is still too heavy to bear
What with our pockets getting lighter

No water for our crops to grow
No water for us too
No water for a sustenance
The money won't bring water true

The fields are greener
On the other side. That's true.
The fields that have machines and fertilisers
The villages that have electricity too

The middle keeps growing
I mean, the men in the middle
They take away our harvest for a pittance
Are we just playing second fiddle?

Working dawn to dusk, we are
Burning our backs in the sweltering heat
Our families pushing themselves to their limits
Three meals, sometimes, is a great treat.

We can't promise our children a better fate than us
They must work with us in the field
We can't afford to send them to school
Until our farmlands truly bring yield

Even those who want and can give their children an education
The future doesn't hold much
A classroom barely lit, a room that's rubble
Is 1st standard a qualification as such?

We've protested, we've rallied, unions we formed
We've screamed ourselves hoarse, we've whispered our plea
Our fields are dying, can anyone hear us?
Our fields are dying and so are we...