Orphan Lamb

Cherry

By Jane Hyphen

Sat, 31 Mar 2018
  • 1211 reads
6 comments
 

 

Who will save the orphan lamb?

Shivered bleats, wet crease

Skinny back, mucus neck

Coated shine, ewe’s juice

Pleads just like a baby

In a stubbly heathered roost

 

It stands against the odds

Buckled legs, strong sticks

For seconds then it folds

White minim on a mound

Nothing, no-one, nothing

Around for miles

 

Not all are mothers

Cells divide and thrive

Flesh distinct or perhaps

Were twins but milk

Just enough for one

When winter’s late and hard

 

The flock is dots

Upon a hillside far away

Trammel life’s design

Or let nature take its cause?

In hands it lives and thrives

In hands upon another day to die

 

 

Certificate 15
Poem
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I suppose a number of the hill-born lambs will be lost, but so many do seem to survive despite harsh weather, and sometimes efforts of the farmers to go out searching. Have you seen these blue plastic 'aprons' some of the lambs are wearing now out in the fields? We were puzzled but I googled about it, and it seems it protects them during those first few hours outside and discourages the foxes from attacking them too. The did look odd. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Hi Rhiannon, unfortunately we came across one of these near Elan, we reported it at a local house and the occupier said she'd tell the farmer but he would probably just leave it. We saw lots of thriving lambs too of course. I haven't heard of the blue aprons, I will have a look. Certainly many farmers go to great lengths to care for their flocks at lambing time but I guess hill farming is harsher all round.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

terrible to be so tiny, wet and fragile, arrived with such struggle and then left to die alone in the cold without comfort. You did all you could.

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Thanks Di_Hard. The problem is they're just too damn cute and needy, as a human you cannot fail to have a rush of oxytocin. Those Welsh farmers are pretty scary though and it's been their livelihood for decades, who am I to interfere? Thanks for the cherries x

 

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Great nature poem, you make me aware of the orphan lamb. Because of the time of year I also read this poem of the lamb on the hillside as perhaps having an additional 'Easter' meaning...

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Hi Elsie, yes I suppose it could be woven in to the meaning of Christ the lamb at Easter. Thanks for reading. Hope you're having a lovely Easter day!