Thursday, February 20, 2025

Poetry Friday: "300 Goats" by Naomi Shihab Nye

I wanted to share this one by Naomi Shihab Nye for a few reasons: 

  • It's Naomi Shihab Nye. 
  • It's about goats. I've always liked goats, and now they make me think about Severance, and I'm obsessed with Severance
  • It's Naomi Shihab Nye. 

So. Poetry. Goats. Severance

You're welcome. 


300 Goats
by Naomi Shihab Nye

In icy fields.
Is water flowing in the tank?
Will they huddle together, warm bodies pressing?
(Is it the year of the goat or the sheep?
....

(Read the rest of this short, delightful poem here, and you can listen to the poet reading it here.) 

~~~~~~~~~~

The Poetry Friday round-up this week is being hosted by Laura Purdie Salas


Photo thanks to RitaE at Pixabay

8 comments:

laurasalas said...

I love the tender, protective tone of the narrator of this poem. Thanks, Karen, for the goats and the Nye.

Linda B said...

Karen, you've made me want to say "follow the goats", often better judgment than us nutty humans! Nye will help us through, too, won't she?

Karen Edmisten said...

Isn't it lovely, Laura? Have a wonderful weekend!

Karen Edmisten said...

Linda, yes, Nye will help us through. :) And yeah, I think the goats are doing better than we are at the moment!

tanita✿davis said...

This poem is especially hilarious because my friend Jen is... an outdoor ed teacher who has a herd of goats. She came to choir rehearsal last night, exhausted, because one doe had just had triplets, and after rehearsal, she went back to a makeshift bed in the barn to get another doe through birth. So, yeah: goats and Ms. Naomi. They know what to do better than we do. ♥t

Marcie Flinchum Atkins said...

I love Naomi Shihab Nye's work. I watched Season 1 of Severance with my college kid a few weeks ago, and now I'm afraid to watch Season 2... :) It's addictive and also terrifying.

Carol Varsalona said...

Karen, what a surprise! Naomit is an amazing poet. I have spoken with her at two different conferences. Thanks for this poem that I never read before.

Karen Edmisten said...

* Tanita, that's so funny, and your poor exhausted friend! I have a friend in Vermont who raises sheep and I've always been amazed by her accounts of how exhausting lambing season is. But goats and Ms. Naomi ... yeah. :)

* Marcie, it is SO addictive, yes, and terrifying, but I guess I'm in it now. :)

* Carol, how lovely that you've met and spoken with her. I had never seen this one before either. It surprised me and I loved it. :)