The Black Sheep

Old McDonald had a farm ... EI EI O ... and on this farm there were some sheep ... many, many sheep.

Most were young and fluffy and white and cute and cuddly
and happy as can be with a mouth full of grass
as they spent their time in the sunshine, carefree.

And on this farm was one black sheep.

He had spent many seasons on the farm
and walked with a limp from an
incident where he was bitten
by a wolf when he was only
3 weeks old.

The black sheep was not young,
nor white,
nor cute,
nor cuddly,
and unlike the other sheep
he was not happy to spend
his time in the sunshine
with a mouth full of grass.

And as he was passing a group of white sheep
one of them ask, "What's wrong black sheep?"

"Why are you unhappy here on the farm ...
where we are given green grass to eat
and allowed to spend our days
lounging in the sunshine?"

And the black sheep said,
"Because things are not what they seem
here on the farm ... the farmer is not your friend,
he plans to slaughter you all at the end of the season
and cut you up into little pieces
to sell at the market."

And all the other sheep said,
"NNNNNAAAA NNNNNAAAA ... you're crazy black sheep!
The farmer feeds us and cares for us,
he shears us in summer to keep us cool ...
he works hard every day to provide for us,
the farmer is our friend
and we love the farm."

And the black sheep said,
"The farmer sheers you in summer
to sell your wool ... and allows you to graze
in his field to fatten you up
so you'll bring more at market ...
the farmer and his farm provide these things
because that's how the farmer makes his money."

And all the other sheep giggled and laughed,
"NNNNNAAAA NNNNNAAAA ... you're crazy black sheep!
we don't want to hear your crazy theories
about the farmer and his conspiracy
to slaughter us ... we're happy here
with our mouthful of grass and
spending our time in the sunshine ...
and you'd be happy too
if only you did the same."

So the black sheep walked back to the barn alone.

And the days rolled into nights,
until finally Fall was upon the farm.

And all the sheep were grazing on the last
of the green grass, when the black sheep
passed a herd of white sheep ...

"Hey black sheep, you said the farmer
was not our friend, you said he planned
to slaughter us all to sell our parts at market,
and still---here we are!!!
Happy with our mouthful of grass
and enjoying our time in the sunshine."

And the black sheep said,
"Harvest time is here and soon you will all be led
into the barn to be slaughtered ... and your parts
will be wrapped in plastic and loaded on to a truck
headed for market."

And all the sheep giggled and laughed,
"NNNNNAAAA NNNNNAAAA ... you're crazy black sheep!
we don't want to hear your crazy theories
about the farmer and his conspiracy
to slaughter us ... we're happy here
with our mouthful of grass and
spending our time in the sunshine ...
and you'd be happy too
if only you did the same."

So the black sheep walked back to the barn alone.

And morning came.

All the sheep gathered at the gate
to enjoy their morning breakfast in the field,
only to find the farmer waiting
on the other side ... and a new path
leading back into the barn.

And the black sheep said,
"If you follow that path and go back
into the barn, then a metal spike
will be thrust into your brain
and your body will be cut into little pieces,
wrapped in plastic, and sold at the market."

And all the sheep giggled and laughed,
"NNNNNAAAA NNNNNAAAA ... you're crazy black sheep!
we don't want to hear your crazy theories
about the farmer and his conspiracy
to slaughter us ... we're happy here
with our mouthful of grass and
spending our time in the sunshine ...
and you'd be happy too
if only you did the same."

The gate was opened ... all the sheep rushed
down the path only to find themselves
back inside the barn. In a single line ...
they could not see what was happening in front of them ...
all they could hear was the sound ...

tick, tick, tick, tick, THUD!
And then there was a smell.

And some of the sheep started to get worried,
suddenly they felt something wasn't right ... they felt like running,
but the other sheep said, "Calm down ... everything is fine ...
just think good thoughts and everything will be all right."

And all of the sheep felt so much better.

They calmly proceeded to walk themselves,
single file, through the line into the barn ...

And each stood quietly, while the blunt metal spike
reset to position ...

tick, tick, tick, tick
THUD!

And then there was a smell.

And one by one ... all of the sheep
walked obediently to the slaughter,
each thinking their own happy thoughts
while the metal spike reset
and plunged into their brain ...

then their bodies were cut into pieces,
wrapped in plastic,
and shipped off to market.

And the black sheep walked back to the barn alone.

And the seasons passed
and fall became winter
and then spring ...

and a new herd of sheep arrived on the farm ...

Most were young and fluffy and white and cute and cuddly
and happy as can be to arrive on the farm
to have that next mouthful of grass
and spend their time in the sunshine,
carefree.

And as the sheep were unloaded
from the truck ... they saw one black sheep
standing alone and looking sad ...

and one of them said,
"What's wrong black sheep?"


- Chad Lilly .... unpublished words.

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Look

While Twitter is down
I'll resort back to poems
written with digital pens,
my life's only meaning ... to be a scribe
writing the unseen words.

To incite new verbs
and erase the meaning
of all preconceived adjectives ...
I'll write in new languages
familiar to the souls
of listeners
hearing.

Eyes with vision to see
between the lines of tweets
and into the meaning, deeply reflected
by cosmic eyes from that eternal mirror
reflecting everything back
to you ...

Look.

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A Poet's Alphabet

All
Because
Children
Dive
Eloquently head-
First into swallow pools and
Grass covered battlefields
Hoping to become heroes
In the land of make-believe,
Just in case the world needs
Killers for hire called: Marines to
Locate and neutralize
Make-believe enemies
No man can see---
Only to find
People as scared as themselves,
Questioning their government's
Rules / regulations as they are
Seizing both property and freedom,
Till every person is but sand
Underneath the feet of
Vicious masters
Willing to sacrifice the
X - factor for
You and me to satisfy their
Zeal for more --- greed.

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