Poem: ‘Fothering the Sheep’

Fothering the sheep

Only minus seven this morning
but the gate latches are frozen solid.
‘We’ll need a kettleful to unfreeze them.’
There’s more snow forecast and a gale warning.

‘We need to get hay up to the sheep
before it blows in.’ The cart’s struggling.
The sheep are gathered, waiting. ‘They’re patient,
I’ll give them that.’ The snow’s firm, packed deep.

‘Nay, don’t all push at once! You’ll get your share.’
Sheep surge forward, eyes fixed on the hay.
The lads flick it up. It falls in bundles on the snow.
Strewing the hay shows the sheep they care.

Image: Daniele Idini