Cow
Their slow tide blocked the A12.
I sat. And was floated down
the river of their swaying flanks
and heartened by their robust health;
fresh dung splattered udders swollen warm,
root-sure with promise of calves and cream.
The cowman walked spidery-small,
as if flicked up from under an elegant hoof
only to be swatted by tails lashing at air.
And I thought of the cow on the 6 o'clock news
and how, tracked by the camera,
she'd slipped and heaved,
butted her head and breathed so hard
the cobwebs clotting her brain had thickened,
sent her stumbling up the ramp
and on into her switchback darkness.
The lens had focused, held steady,
framed her firmly for remote control.
She'd been processed into film,
served up cold for tea.
Page(s) 29
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