Manger

In the north country

The cows are waiting out the storm

Huddling as only cows can

Coat hay rough

Grass breath sweet shit

On a tiny piece of ground on a tiny island

As the river Eden rises

When the water washes over them

The cows accept it

As they accept everything

The lustre of their eyes

Shines liquid trust

They were here and now they’re

Somewhere else, that’s all

Everything will be fine

The ungainly voyage

The journey down the waterfall

They’re cow boats

Going with the flow

And it’s no miracle

It’s faith

Placid, patient faith

In the storm passing

In grass on a golf course

In feed in a manger

In a calf in a belly

The rain comes as the rain will

And it will stop,

The river will swell

And it will subside,

In the byre, the cattle are lowing

And you can learn a lot from a cow