Boisterous Youth

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Wed, 21 Jun 2023
  • 1018 reads
11 comments
 

Large field, herd of frisky bullocks (or heifers?)
far off the other side;
inquisitively they start moving together to see who we are;
a noise behind us, they stop, turn tail, and
follow-my-leader rush in a mad, happy chase away.

Another field, another crowd
turn to face me across the path.
I move over off the path,
they start to rush en masse in the same direction,
but veer away then further from me.
follow-my-leader, hooves thumping, dust rising.

Then they seem to be coming back, but
when they see me, they stop, turn and
the leader sets them off in a race away again.

I assume they are nervous of me !
(I kept calm, not to excite them more!)

My husband had gone back a little way
to find the guide-book we had dropped.
I was glad to see him arriving unscathed.

Certificate U
Poem
Countryside explorations
Nature
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by marandina on

That's quite an experience with those "frisky bullocks (or heifers?". Imagine them being nervous of people. Glad your husband was unscathed. Enjoyed the images and a photo that brings it all to life. Nicely done, Rhiannon. Paul 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Paul. They were so obviously full of fun and energy, and I don't think we got really nervous ourselves, but it was good to view them not too close! Rhiannnon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

May be the frisky bullocks or Heifers are nervous because of a past bad experience around humans. I have had some scary moments around cows, sheep and horses, it's as if they feel like you're entering their domain. I'm always nervous around these creatures when they're grazing, it might be that they sense my fear.

I'm glad everything was okay for you and your husband in the end.Rhiannon. You describe the scene so vividly and the photo also helps view the incident.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jenny. I think they were mainly inquisitive and ready for some excercise and excitement! But they are big, and I try not to move suddenly or show tension. And best not to have dogs or excited children around them I think. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

There was an interesting thing on the news the other day about how incidents of people being attacked are getting more common. They think it’s partly people’s bad behaviour ( dogs etc) , sometimes that the cows have been stressed previously and finally that with automation cows have less and less interaction with farm workers . I was charged at once and it was very frightening!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. We want to encourage people out into the countryside, but there has to be understanding of how to react towards animals and gates etc, and it is unclear how much responsibility there is on farmers regarding footpaths through their property. I don't think we were in any danger, but I wouldn' t have wanted to provoke the animals. It isn't easy to necessarily change to a different route on a walk. Adult bulls in a field, or cows with young are a difficulty sometimes. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you for the cherries. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Leander42 on

I saw a farmer with some magic cows the other day. He was herding them along the road and then all of a sudden they turned into a fieldlaugh

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Ha! Take a while to get the milk out of that.

We had to wait while cows were crossing the road for milking once. After a while we started counting and I think got to 500! Quite some milking, quite some wait. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Had your husband really gone back to find the guidebook that you had dropped or was he just using it as an excuse to hide at the back? Whenever I find myself in a situation that requires facing something fearsome I always say that I'm just popping home to check that I haven't left the gas on.

A very nice poem, reminding me of so many walks in the countryside in the past.

Turlough

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, but yes, he had, and when he went back it was before the young cattle appeared again, but as I waited I did wonder if he'd had them approach him. He had had them swirling around him not too close as well! Rhiannon (actually it was he had dropped it this time, when taking a photo, but as it is usually me, I put is as we dropped it!)