Thursday, February 11, 2010

Heifer-After

LOSING APRIL IN FEBRUARY:
AN ELEGIAC (de)COMPOSITION IN HONOUR OF OUR LATE HEIFER

The Old Woman whistled and the wild wind blew
And the beetle-ridden spruce tree cracked in two
And that was the start of the whole to-do:
The week we composted a cow.
















Aye, down went the spruce on the old house roof.
While the man in the moon looked on, aloof...
Then the heifer slipped on a half-lit hoof,
The week we composted a cow.

Up with the dawn and our dear heifer down--
No time to mourn for those eyes of brown--
For the neighbors instantly started to frown,
The week we composted a cow.

The experts we called said to gather some brush.
Order a truckload of horse-poop! Rush!
(The neighbors peered with a horrified hush)
The week we composted a cow.















No time to weep, farmer. No time to yell.
We downloaded a fact sheet, (from Cornell),
Then we laid down quicklime and covered her well,
The week we composted a cow.

Well, word got around. The Selectmen beckoned.
The neighbors made motions and looked for a second.
And so we went down, and wrangled, and reckoned
The week we composted a cow.

Impressed by our fact sheets and photos and charts,
The Selectmen pondered it all in their hearts,
Then... commended our decompositional arts!
The week we composted a cow.

Now April the heifer's tucked safe in her pile.
We permit ourselves, now, a tear and a smile.
But the neighbors won't ask us to tea for a while...
Now that we've composted a cow.


--copyright Mainecelt February 11, 2010

7 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Cow Composter. Well, now you've got something else to add to your resume.

Sad to say but true: If you have livestock, you're gonna have dead stock. But truly sorry to hear of April's demise.

Unknown said...

Wow.
I'm pretty much speechless.

Grow Compost of Vermont said...

Wonderful poem
wonderful cow
wonderful soil

David Levi said...

You've done April proud. Great poem!

Noni said...

Amazing! When does it come out on CD?

May April grow again in lovely produce!

Give new meaning to "When April comes again".....

Mom

patti said...

I'm sorry for your loss.

Casco Bay Soap Co. said...

excellent poem!
soo sorry about your cow.
:(
S.