Holy Sheep

How sheep behave sometimes - and how they 'could' behave (Christians are sometimes referred to as a flock and Jesus as our Shepherd... which got me thinking!)

HOLY SHEEP I

November 1994

Holy sheep are grazing

Gazing at the grass-grey

Glazed expression of the land.

Partly full of excitation and half-remembered suspense

Not moved or betrayed by . . . anything

Not the slightest hint of . . . anything

And no... days full... of . . . anything.

 

Superstitious farmer-priests herd them in;

Penned against the night

The sheep do not know so do not fear.

In their minds nothing stirs.

Oh well, they shrug, maybe tomorrow?

 

HOLY SHEEP II

We are and we come

United and tremendous

Hoof, bone, jump and crack of horn

Across desert, thundering the mountains

Into and out of dust.

Grass, torrent and shade are oasis

In our nomad-days.

Hundreds strong, we follow one

No man stands against us all.

In the daylight, active

And shielded from the night.

When we arise and shout our woolly cries

Something, somewhere, landfalls and gives way.

We have our day.