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.)
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The Poetry Friday round-up this week is being hosted by Laura Purdie Salas.
Photo thanks to RitaE at Pixabay.
15 comments:
I love the tender, protective tone of the narrator of this poem. Thanks, Karen, for the goats and the Nye.
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?
Isn't it lovely, Laura? Have a wonderful weekend!
Linda, yes, Nye will help us through. :) And yeah, I think the goats are doing better than we are at the moment!
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
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.
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.
* 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. :)
Karen, just reading the title, "300 Goats," made me smile. I like goats, too. Thank you for the wonderful poem. I like the Biblical echoes in "O lead them to a warm corner, " too. We all need our warm corner this winter!
The simple conclusion "They know what to do. They're goats." is a hopeful way of viewing the world. I love NSN so much. Thanks for sharing this poem.
I love Naomi Shihab Nye's poems. I had never read this one so thank you for sharing it here!
Funny aside - years ago, my husband had a coworker who was terrified of goats. He found their unusual pupils so haunting - so of course, in true coworker fashion, my husband and his teammates would find ways to incorporate goats into the workplace at every opportunity. ;-)
You had me at Naomi Shihab Nye...but I stayed for the question...shouldn't we do something for them? Nope, it turns out that goats know how to take care of themselves. I find this poem fun and solid and a wonderful little trip away from the reality of now.
Naomi Shihab Nye and goats. What a lovely post. I enjoyed listening to the discussion and her reading it. Thanks!
Thank you for Naomi, and for these self-sufficient goats!
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