Nature Sonnet

Pa bought a cow of neighbor Deacon Brown

     And brought her home and put her in the lot,

And she went grazing and was soon forgot,

While pa hitched up the horse and drove to town

And took some eggs and other produce down.

The deacon said she was a gentle cow

     And wouldn’t jump the lowest fence in town;

When she had had enough of feed, I vow,

     She took that fence just like a circus clown

And headed back for home like all posest

And jumped back in the lot with all the rest..

My sakes, but pa was mad. “O, no,” says he,

“She won’t jump over the lowest fence, not she,

But she kin take the high one, I’ll be blessed!”

July 5, 1914