Wednesday, November 28, 2012

In The Barn This Night

photoart: ralph murre


In The Barn This Night
by Ellen Kort

Earth man
God of the soil
in the barn this night
hunched over
on wooden stool
wiping your mouth
of barn whiskey
and sweat    stroking
cow in labor
Animal sounds
smell of birth
lifting the calf
the dead weight
cold hide
all bones
animal skin calf
The lantern
parts darkness
as you breathe
slowly
towards
the house
all the world
sleeping
and the whiskey’s
not strong enough
and your bed
will not
warm this night

~ first published in There is Something Ancient Here
   (Woelfinger Press)