The tractor pulls the roller every spring
To flatten the damage that winter brings.
The cows pug sodden ground after rain
Which dries hard if not rolled smooth again.

The roller looks heavy enough to the eye
But it’s just a hollow cylinder inside.
When the tractor tows it the noise it makes
Is the splash inside as the water shakes.

Filled to the top with hundreds of litres
The water provides the weight that’s needed
To flatten the dirt and press down the stones
To protect baleage machinery when the grass has grown.

It’s a tedious job driving round all day
But it’s worth it to keep the damage away
A moving part hitting a stone at speed
Can give you a headache you don’t need.

Best to prevent a catastrophe
And circle the paddock endlessly.
No telling where a stone has come to the top
Waiting to delay harvesting a crop.