Sunday Stanza: Nightfall and Newborns

It was colder’n sin on a Tuesday night,
Snow blowin’ sideways, not a star in sight.
The kind of night where fences snap,
And smart folks curl up in a heated nap.

But me? I was slidin’ down a rutted track
In a truck that shook like a bad haystack,
Headed for a ewe out past Cottonwood Creek
Who’d been tryin’ to lamb for near half the week.

Her eyes said trouble, her belly said soon,
And I was prayin’ I’d beat the moon.
The barn was lit by a single bulb,
It had a haunted look — real cold and old.

She was down and sweatin’, flat on her side,
One little hoof just pokin’ outside.
So I scrubbed up quick and dove right in,
Sayin’, “Alright girl, let’s begin.”

Now lambin’s not fancy, it’s wet and wild,
You’re part mechanic, part midwife, part child.
I fished for a leg, got turned just so,
Then gave a pull — real smooth and slow.

Out he flopped like a lump of clay,
Soggy and squeaky, but here to stay.
He blinked at me with a look that said,
“Is this the world? Feels cold and dead.”

But mama, bless her, she took control,
Talkin’ to him deep down in her soul.
She licked and nudged and huffed and puffed,
Got him standin’ — wobbly, but tough.

He found her udder like he’d read a map,
Took his first meal with a satisfied nap.
And me? I just stood there, cold and soaked,
Smellin’ like straw and feelin’ kinda choked.

‘Cause I’ve patched up bulls and doctored cats,
Taped up dogs and wrestled lots of brats,
But there’s nothin’ that hits like that first breath,
That shoves back hard from the edge of death.

So yeah, I drove home through a blizzard’s bite,
Heater blowing cold air, truck leanin’ right.
But I grinned like a fool in the rearview mirror —
‘Cause life won that round. And I got to steer.

DocBott