The Edge

I'm standing on the edge of night
I think I'm beginning to see the light
With darkness behind and light up ahead
I silently creep out of my bed
With sleep still tugging from the rear
I feel the sunshine coming near
An early bird begins his song
To us alone this moment belongs
Watching the sun present his rays
I'm standing on the edge of day

Zoey and the Lambs (June 2011)

It was early morning. So early it was still almost dark outside. Ruthie was sounds asleep when Papa reached out of the darkness and touched her shoulder.

"Zoey," he said softly, he smelled faintly of hay and the smoke from the garage's stove, "Rise and shine, Snowball is almost ready to have her baby."

Zoey's eyes opened sleepily and she rubbed her eyes.

"Come on little girl Snowball and I need your help." Papa said as he went down the steps blocking out the light as he went.

Zoey rolled out of the bed and padded over to one of her windows. It was all frosted up from the cold. She put her small hand on the glass to melt the ice so she could see out. It was dark but the yard was lit from the security light. The snow sparkled. The stairway light lit her way as Zoey found a pair of old pants and a sweatshirt and then she rooted under her blankets to find her socks that she'd kicked off during the night. The floor had chilled her bare toes so she sat on the edge of the bed to put her socks and pants on over her pajama pants and then yawning she pulled the sweathirt over her pajama shirt. It was so cold out she knew she'd be glad to have the extra layer.

Zoey could hear Mama and Papa talking down in the kitchen as Mama got the breakfast things out. She heard the clunk of the griddle as Mama put it on the stove and the screech of the silverware drawer. The griddle meant Mama was probably making pancakes and sausage and maybe even blueberry sauce!

Zoey scooted down the steps on her behind, sometimes the steep steps scared her and she was afraid to go down them like a big girl.

Mama stopped mixing the pancake batter and told Zoey to get some bands from the bathroom and her brush. While Mama braided Zoey's long brown hair into pigtails, Papa mixed up some formula and put it into two bottles and put them into Zoey's coat pockets. Then he pulled on his coveralls and barn boots. His stocking cap then went on almost covering his eyebrows. Gloves finished the outfit and then he had Mama fill a big black rubber bucket with hot water.

As soon as Zoey's hair was braided and the bucket filled Mama helped Zoey into her own pair of snowpants and barn boots then a coat, stocking cap and thck mittens. She gave her a couple of old flannel rags. And then Papa and Zoey stomped out into the cold.

It was so cold out that the air stung Zoey's face and froze the inside of her nose. Nugget, Australian Shepherd, bounded around them wanting to play.

"Let's go Nugget!" Papa said, "Snowball's having her baby!"

"Woof!" said Nugget.

The snow crunched under their feet as they walked and little snow devils whirled in the driveway as they crossed it to the garage and barn.

Smoke rose from the garage's chimney making the world smell like "ham and cheese" as Zoey called it.

The barn was around the corner from the garage, it was really only an addition to the back of the big 3 car garage but Papa had it fixed up nice for the sheep with a section for the ewe's to eat and a special area for the mamas to have their babies.

Sliding open the barn door, Papa, Nugget and Zoey slipped in trying to keep the cold out. The barn smelled cozy, with scents of sweet grain feed, damp wool and hay.

Archie and Lily the two lambs whose Mama's couldn't feed them because of udder problems, bleated a greeting.

"You go ahead and feed the lambs and I'll see how Snowball is doing." Papa instructed.

Zoey climbed over the gate. and two hungry lambs nuzzled her hands and coat and knees looking for their bottles. Giggling she settled in a clean corner of hay to feed the two lambs. Lily was a petite Suffolk lamb with a black face and Archie was a stout precocious Corriedale with a white face.

Holding a bottle in each hand she settled to feeding the two lambs who wiggled their long uncropped tails furiously and sucked greedily. They made quick work of their milk. Their mamas watched contentedly as they ate their own breakfast of sweet feed.

Archie finished his breakfast first so while Lily finished hers Zoey peeked over the gate. Papa had his coveralls off and flopped over the gate. He was crouched in the straw next to Snowball who was laying on her side breathing heavily. He rolled up the sleeves of his old long sleeve wool undershirt. After rinsing his hands in the bucket of hot water he dried them on his old work pants.

Just then a grunt escaped from Snowball.

"Oh boy, here we go!" Papa said. "Come help."

Zoey pulled the bottle away from and indignant Lily and shoved it back in her coat pocket to keep the little bit of milk that was left warm and scrambled back over the gate. She unzipped her coat and flopped over the gate next to Papa's and then removed her hat and scarf. She quickly dipped her hands in the scalding water and shook them off.

She knelt in the straw next to Snowball's head and stroked her velvety ears. Snowball snuffled at her and grunted again.

"Here Honey, come look, you can see the baby's head. Thank goodness. Her last 2 babies cam breach."

Zoey crawled around to Snowball's backside. A teeny tiny white nose peeked out, and as Snowball pushed the whole head appeared.

As Snowball strained 2 small hooves appeared tucked under the baby's chin. Then came the neck, shoulder and then, PLOP, a whole baby lamb.

Snowball scrambled to her feet and licked and fussed and nosed her baby. Papa made sure that the lamb's nose and mouth were clear of afterbirth.

Snowball nudged her baby trying to make it stand up.

"Help him stand Zoey. Help him get his legs under him."

"Is it a him?" Zoey asked.

Papa checked under his tail. No I guess its not. She's a girl. One day you can help her have babies of her own!"

"Neat!!"

"Ok once you get her used to standing then help her find her mama's teet so she can nurse. Lambs need their mama's milk right away. I'll give Lily the rest of her bottle before she knocks the gate down. Lily was banging loudly on the gate with her little hooves still indignant at her interupted breakfast.

Zoey settled in the straw and pulled the damp gangly lamb into her lap. Snowball watched closely and nuzzled her baby and nudged Zoey with her nose.

"What shall we call her?" Papa asked from the other side of the gate.

"I dunno. I hafta think about it." Zoey replied.

She held the lamb under its belly trying not to touch the icky umbilical cord. Soon it seemed to get the idea that it was supposed to stand on its legs.

By now Papa had finished feeding Lily and was silently leaning over the gate watching his daughter as she concentrated on helping this tiny helpless creature.

Zoey finally reached under Snowball's belly and gently touched her udder so as not to startle the ewe. Then she found a teet and gelty squeezed until a little milk came out onto her fingers. Then she rubbed her fingers on the lambs mouth. The lamb sneezed. Zoey tryed again. This time the lamb smacked her gums as the taste of the milk registered on her taste buds.

Papa laughed. "She likes it!"

Zoey aimed the wobbly baby with its 'airplane' ears toward Snowball's nipple and pried open the lamb's mouth. She quickly popped the nipple into its mouth and squeezed the base of the nipple. The lamb swallowed twice and then started to suck.

Zoey let out a "Aha!" and clapped which startled both the baby and the Mama and she had to do the process all over again. But this time when the lamb caught on she stayed real still and quiet and the lamb ate greedily.

Snowball and Pap both seemed satisfied that the baby was ok.

Papa rinsed his hands in the bucket and so did Zoey and they both struggled back into their warm things.

Papa checked on all the sheep once more and made sure everyone had eaten and had fresh water. He lowered the heat lamp down closer to Snowball and her new baby. And then patted Snowball's rump.

"You did good old girl. You did good."

They turned off the barn lights and then slipped back out into the cold morning air. The snow glittered and glistened. Letting her scarf flop, Zoey ran across the driveway whooping and hollering with joy of life, with Nugget barking at her heels.

Papa laughed heartily. Life was good.

They bumbled throught the front door to smells of pancakes and blueberry sauce. Tuffy the farm cat and snuck in with them and wound his way around their ankles.

After they thanked Jehovah for the day and the food and the new little lamb, they told Mama all about the baby and how well she had come into the world. And Papa told how much Zoey had helped.

They later named the baby Annabelle and sure enough Zoey did help her have her own babies a couple years later.

Change (9/2010)

Do you fear change the way I do?
Well I know just what you're going through.
I the blink of an eye your life takes a path,
That a moment before it might never have.

Your stomach lurches
As your heart searches
For some stability,
But lost is your ability.

Your comfort zome attacked,
Into a corner you're backed.
Instead embrace change
Things of the past rearrange.

Allow the changes your shell to breach,
Or else you're grasping for something you can't reach.
Learn to go
With the flow.

You can't be happy clinging to the past,
You're allowed to move on, memories last.

So embrace the future and the changes that it holds.
Out and face the future, stand tall and be bold.

Base life on the future and be free at last.

Papa

 

Papa was a simple man who cared for others all his life
He found a sweet and simple gal who soon became his wife
They took him off to prison because he wouldn't fight
But the trials that he faced there did not destroy his light
While he was there her Mama died, the news so very sad
And the family home burned down; they lost everything they had
But he loved his wife, he loved his God, and so he kept right on
And when he walked home from the bus, he ran into her arms
A few years later, going home one day, they were in a crash
His muscles and her bones were very torn and smashed
She was dead and he was gonna be was the news that day
But then they found she was alive; she hadn't slipped away
The two of them took time to heal and soon they bought a house
This simple and sweet loving man and his wife "The Mouse"
Then one day to their surprise they got some shocking news
That they would soon be three instead of only two
I came into their world on a cold, January morn
A gift from Jah they always said when I asked how I was born
They raised me and they taught me so many wonderful things
How to live and serve our God and all the joy that brings
Now that he's gone and I reflect upon our time together
I wish I'd had more time here now to get to know him better
But thanks to our God that he taught me about I'll get a chance one day
To hug him and to thank him and to finally say
I love you Papa I always have, and thanks for being my dad
You and Ma were the best parents that I ever could've had

7/17/2010

Treebreathers

Deep within the forest green
There lives a race unheard unseen
They live their lives among the trees
Because without them they would cease
Their bodies have a faulty gene
I came upon this race so rare
When we came upon their lair
The company was cutting trees
When I heard an eerie wheeze
Floating in the sawdust air
I had the men shut down the saws
And left them in the charge of Dawes
There was something in the forest
Chanting in a choking chorus
Quite noticable in our pause
I held up my hand to tell then men
To not do anything and then
I stepped into the forest deep
As quietly as I could creep
And heard the sounds again
As I walked I heard a sigh
"Do not continue for we shall die."
I looked around in frantic awe
And from the treetops then I saw
A small dark man swing down from high
"Who are you?" I bluntly asked
"And why do you resent our task?"
"My People must live among the trees
The way the fishes need the seas
We are a strange but simple race
But now a problem we do face
Each tree cut down means our death
Fro from each tree we get our breath
We've lived among the trees for years
Have lived our lives with joy and tears
Our lungs grew used to so much purity
It seemed we would endure with surity
And then you came with your machines
With them you shattered hopes and dreams
For first the old ones passed away
And then the weak ones fell each day
And now the young are dying too
They cannot breathe you see and you,
Go right on chopping down the trees..."
With that he fell upon his knees
He gasped for air and clutched my shirt
Within his eyes I saw the hurt
He'd lost so many and I knew
Many more would die soon too
For I knew this forest was almost gone
We hauled out lumber by the ton
The company owner was a heartless man
The head of a million dollar clan
Who cared for nature only when
It made him money and paid his men
Though I felt the deed was done
I had to try to save these ones
I called the master then and there
But he said he didn't care
To get those people off his land
And get the saws on and manned
I helped the native to his feet
For I had yet to be beat
I told the men to start their work
Inside I felt like such a jerk
Into the forest we then fled
I followed the native as he led
The way deep into the trees
Natives surrounded me like bees
"I'll try again" I fairly wept
Off to the side with my cell I crept
And phoned my friend Suzanne LaRue
Who surely would know what to do
She pulled some strings and wouldn't you know
She worked a miracle and so
To this day in a strange land
Cutting trees is strictly banned
For there in a teeny tiny forest
Singing and enchanting chorus
The Treebreathers live in peace
Their whole lives among the trees
(Finished 6/21/2010) All rights Abigail R. LoCascio


https://www.blurb.com/b/7372651-the-treebreathers

At Worlds End

The world ended when Papa died
the screaming of my soul... echoed in my voice.
Suddenly the security I had always known...gone.
My small, safe world now huge and frightening.
My savior, guide, teacher, and friend,
gone in a blink of my eyes.
What will I do now?
Who will help me now?
Who will teach me now?
Where will my life go from here?
How will I know if I'm making good decisions?
So that life is over and this life must go on.
The revelations keep coming, and I find after the tragedy
is a continuation of saving, guiding, teaching, friendship.
Others take these roles, and fill them
like a square peg in a round hole.
They are filled but not exactly...None will be my Papa.
None can take that place.
But I learn he was not perfect, and so others in his roles,
succeed for they too are not perfect.
The end was only the beginning.

5/11/09

Writing In Bed

I snuggle deep into my bed,
as words float round and round my head.
Much needed sleep away has fled
and so its this I write instead.

My husband and my kitty too
are sound asleep. yet guess who
is wide awake and oh so blue
that I can't welcome sleep anew.

The faucet drips and clock does tick,
cramped diaphram makes me hic,
my thirsty tongue feels very thick,
and restless legs just want to kick.

Blanket off and blanket on,
all hope of sleep completely gone.

Silent Sleep

You nestle deep into my chest,
my heart finds some peace and rest,
in our private little nest,
as you sleep on in silence.

I feel your heart beating strong,
as you stretch your legs out long,
my love for you cannot be wrong,
as you sleep on in silence.

I feel your breath on my face,
dampening a tiny place,
a hint of tuna I can trace,
as you sleep on in silence.

Then I disturb your messy fur,
and you awake with yawn and purr,
you're still as sweet as you were,
when you slept on in silence.

3/17/09 For a contest "Intimate Moment"

Cat Limericks

Brammy

There once was a kitty named Bram,
Who is as meek and mild as a lamb,
He is a bit shy
Which is probably why,
It's surprising when he's a ham.

Puddy

There is a crazy pussy named Pud,
Who tries to do what he should.
But he scratches and bites
and wants to start fights,
But in the end he's usually good.

Bella

There is a cute kitty named Bella
Who makes her litter box smell-a
You could break the scoop
when scooping her poop.
And shout when she makes the rug yella!

Bo-Jangles

There is a strange kitty named Jangles
He just adores shiny bangles.
He sits on your feet,
And begs to be beat,
As over your kneecap he dangles.

Bailey

There's an aloof cat named Bailey
He'd rather you not pet his tail-y
He looks down his short nose
In distant repose,
And bites my hand almost daily.

Missy

There is a cute kitty named Missy,
Who sometimes is terribly hissy.
She can be quite sweet,
but in a heartbeat
She changes 'cause she is p****.

I Loved

I met you and I loved you,
You smiled and shook my hand.

I followed you and I loved you,
You kept a neutral stand.

I learned you and I loved you,
You never really knew.

I played you and I loved you,
Away from me you drew.

I gave up and I loved you,
I met another man.

I felt sorry and I loved you,
You became another's man.

You married and I loved you,
You moved on and I grieved.

I moved on and I loved you,
Your lack of love bereaved.

I'm taken, I don't love you,
There's not much more to say.

I'm married, I don't love you,
But memories still stay.