the newborn

there are cows and sheep
in the field across the road
five cows, one black, one black and white
one light cream, almost white
and two the colour of rich jersey cream
the sheep are a flock
adults all and vaguely disinteresting
hard to differentiate between sheep
once they are full grown
somewhere along the road to adulthood
they lose their joy in living
and with it their individuality
well, to the casual observer at least
i have watched the field for nearly two weeks
i have come to recognize the pained bellows
which signal the arrival of a new life
in the field across the road
and now we are three more, young ones
so new, so small, at rest they could be mistaken
for an anthill, except there are no anthills
in ayrshire pastures, a mole hill perhaps
staying close to mama for their first hours
they now find time to frolic and bound
the new generation, two brown, one black
the colour of calves against the green
in the field across the road

Copyright © 2011 by Eryll Oellermann