maybe we need another hero

the quickest way to calm me down
is placing me
in the middle of a stall–

the warm, moist breath of cows
transports me back to childhood,
reminding me of my aunt Lina,

i used to join her when it was the time
to milk, when she sat bent,
head placed comfortably,
soft against the cow’s warm belly,

catching flies with dirty hands, my words
dripped in the rhythm of the milk machine
& straw stems wound their fragile limbs
around my toes–

many of my stories hung upon
that cow dung squirted walls—

and she just listened,

listened to an angry, desperate,
helpless child–
listened carefully while cows released
their milk into a stainless steel can–

i lay folded at their hooves,
knowing that i would survive
another day, another week—

with the scent of grass and dying flies
pinned to my fingers,

all my heroes–
have smelled of cow since then,

and on cold days i still find
traces of those hay blades,
hidden in the childhood chambers
of my heart

.

yes…this is me on the above pic.. and yes…it’s MeetingTheBar again over at dVerse and Victoria has prepared a wonderful heroic prompt for us… see you 3pm EST..