POEM #3- BYGONES

April is National Poetry Month. For the past four years, I have joined my friend Mary Lee, at POETREPOSITORY and YEAR OF READING in writing a poem every day for a month. This year, Mary Lee's theme is BYGONES. She has selected thirty vintage photographs from a collection she found at her mom's house in Burlington, Colorado, and is writing from one photograph every day. I'm not sure if I will write from Mary Lee's photographs every day, or if I will see if I can find some of my own. For the past few years, we have been joined by several other amazing poets- Kevin Hodgson and Steve Peterson. Don't miss Steve's "When the threshing crew arrived."  Here is my offering for day #3…

"Abundance?"

Last March

I strode to the barn 

flung open the bastions

then halted in decidedly 

unsoldierlike wonder

I leaned across splintered wood

breathed hay-touched air

and marveled at you 

a few hours old

grunting and suckling

at your mama's nipple

Six months later

here I am 

proud conqueror

swinging you 

upside down 

by your hocks

and announcing to the world

that soon you will 

be bacon 

on my breakfast platter

and it's not like

i'm not grateful

for one more year

of abundant provision

but somehow

I just can't forget

that sweet hay-touched

spring morning

and all that 

grunting and suckling. 

(C) Carol Wilcox, 2016

There are lots of other really interesting poetry projects going on this month, and  Jama Rattigan has compiled a list  here.