Thursday, December 20, 2012

Cows


 



Cows

by Tom Rudge


There'll be cows in heaven
Jersey cows and Guernseys
Ayrshires and Friesians too
mooing and grazing

cows with short horns and short coats
and long horns and long coats
chewing and lazing

when you call they'll follow
they'll skip at the sound of your voice
Athena-eyed, they'll lick the rain from your face
and, tingle-tongued, the salt from your hands

across the infinite plain
a billion cows will roam
mothers with their children, generation to generation
freed from the slaughterhouse stun
and the hunter's gun

while bees may provide the honey
cows will give the milk
and the richest cream
and a million kinds of cheese

in this place some may dwell in cities
of jewels and golden streets
but you, you will perform Adam's work undone
you will be the farmer
and you will tend the cows
and name them one by one

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