a poem in my pocket

We were dressed, ready to leave for worship when farmer husband heard bellowing. He backed pick-up to check inside shed. A new calf had arrived but mama was upset and attacking it. “You go on to church,” he told us, taking off his good coat.

She was a first-time mother; nervous and skittish post-partum. She circled stall wild-eyed. He put cow in head gate so calf could safely nurse and drink the vital colostrum. Even after hobbling cow’s back legs so she couldn’t kick and tying her head with short rope so she couldn’t box, she wasn’t bonding with calf.

I sternly lectured cow about her important role as mother. I spoke gently to baby, petting him in view of mama. We decided to try putting them together. There are moments caught between heartbeats…mama sniffed, then licked her baby.

Prosery is a short story (exactly 144 words). It includes a line from another author’s poem; in this case the poem, Coda, by MacNeice. Part flash fiction but based on a real experience 🙂  Kim is hosting at dVerse Poets pub today.