We give nourishment just like everyday They cry and bleat as we feed them But today is no ordinary day He says, “Look she had babies!!” A rush of astonishment and happiness floods over me I have looked forward to this for months The two little ones are just now looking for milk from the mother Only a second later I see the a third one Abandoned in the corner She’s laying there with barely any life I wrap her in a towel and hold her close to my body I hold her so she doesn’t get cold I wipe her off from the birth Frantically he calls Ms. Pam Asking for advice Hoping it’s not too late, I listen in Both of us know nothing I’ve never experience this kind of birth before It seems so strange I keep holding her and holding her Willing life to fill her eyes I have no clue what to do for this baby I stand out in the cold and start to cry She cries too But hers are very weak and almost forced cries Later I find that it was a cry for milk If only I knew An eternity later, the neighbor comes to help This is nothing for her She’s done this a million times Calm and collected; she introduces herself as Sarah Sarah tells me to start rubbing the baby to get circulation going I do it mechanically I tell the baby, “You’ll be ok don’t worry” I believe it She’s getting weaker and weaker Her feet soft and limp Her eyes half open and blurred Her mouth open for the milk that she’ll never drink I finally realize she’s not going to make it I keep trying and trying to get some sort of response She doesn’t move If only we didn’t have to wait so long Sarah has moved on to the other kids She makes sure they’re nursing Occasionally looking over to me I tell her I think the baby is dead She assures me so and I sit there in dumb silence I finally ask her “Where should I put it?” “There’s a garbage can in the other barn” Somehow I just want her to open her lifeless eyes It’s like a smack in the face From death itself I stand there and sob I tell myself this is what I have to do So I finally say goodbye and slip her gently in
