You were the first I calved,
And I did so to the letter.
I brought you out to this world,
And so felt better.
When the fence came down, you ran,
And left me a fretter.
Back when you were a calf,
And I knew no better.
I watched you grow,
From calf to cow through heifer.
I watched you roam the long grass,
Through the zephyr.
And then came the day,
When you became a mother.
And I stood by you,
As if I was your brother.
We aged, your young calf grew,
And did just fine.
Then one spring morning,
Came that dreaded time.
You looked at me,
As I held you in my arms.
That one last time,
After many years and barns.
I pushed you to the trailer,
And I did tear.
As my betrayal to you,
Became so clear;
The cruelty,
That my actions are.
As I saw you off,
To the abattoir.
In the mirror I saw,
The saddest picture;
I’d done it all to make,
A rich man richer.
You were the first I calved,
And I did so to the letter.
And I was proud,
Because I knew no better.
Farewell, my friend,
And on to pastures better.
Alessandro Skarlatos Currie
