Online Dairy Ode Contest #1 Entries

Kindergarten to Grade 3 Category
No entries.
Grade 4 to 6 Category
The Cheese Tease
by Josh Brown

These are my very very favorite types of cheese
I'm sure that i'm not alone in the people that they please
There's marble, cottage, havarti and brick
And then there's parmasean as hard as a stick
There's gouda, edam, brie and swiss
And then there's romano which you surely can't miss
And then there's the cheddar classic
It must have been around ever since the Jurassic
And now that you've finished listening about chesse
your appetite will definately be teased!

I love cheese.
by Alisha Gillam.
I love cheese
Cheese, cheese
Smells like peas
Cheese, cheese
It's such a breeze
Cheese, cheese
I love cheese
It's such a breeze
and smell's like peas!

Grade 7 to 8 Category
No entries.
Grade 9 to 12 Category
Ode to cheese and girls
by Matthew johnson

roses are red.
gouda is yellow
ladies i'm a mighty fine fellow.
violets are blue
mozzerella is white
let me be your guiding light
carnations are pink
limburger cheese stinks
this has made think
cheese isn't so great

Cheesy Lines
by Emily Gray

Though odes on cheese
Will make me smile
Cheesy poems
Just aren't my style.

Adult Category
Ode to the Cream Separator
by G.E. Stock

It sat in the corner
All gleaming and clean.
In its countenance
Mom's pride could be seen.

A tribute to inventor
Alphonse DeLaval,
The separator was
Our family's pal.

Twice daily there'd be
Milk fresh from the cow.
We'd life heavy pails and pour,
Sweat beading up on our brow.

Our muscles would bulge
As the crank was turned.
A bell would tinkle
'Til enough speed was discerned.

The separator was
A magical efficient machine
That turned whole milk into
Thin skim and thick cream.

The cat would watch
And impatiently wish
To be rewarded with a taste
Of butterfat in its dish.

The cream was made into butter
To sell in the store.
Farm fresh and pure,
It had flavour galore.

With fine-ground mash
Blended in still-warm skim
We'd slop the hogs
In a trough filled to the brim.

Our pigs grew fat and fetched
The highest prices
From butchers who desired
To sell the best bacon slices.

Our life was simple but enriched.
We lived from our land,
Our table always piled high
With find food prepared by hand.

We owe it all
To the separator of cream.
T'was the centre of our farm and life,
This simple machine.

Ode to a Cow
by Ruthanne Foster

Oh cow, of rolling pastures green
Where crow and bluebird fly serene

Cow, who art of formidable size
With wisdom in thine wide set eyes

Whose jaw in constant rumination
Turns fodder into milk for a nation

For you - no plough to pull in toil
Yet, you put back into the soil

When spring's thaw melts the banks of snow
Then, we can play "Cow Patty Bingo!"

The Wedge
by Melanie Harper, Esq.

There once was a wedge of brie,
Brie is known to be tasty.
It thought it could hide,
And oh how it tried,
But it could not escape me.

Cheeze
by Keith Lewis

Cheeze
Cheeze
Oh! how I love my Cheeeeeze
Its taste!
So subtle, delicate, interesting
Sliding down my throat
Spreading inward, upwards, outwards
exploding pleasures in my tummy, in my mind
and in my hands...
as I reach for more.

Cheeze
Cheeze
Oh! how I love my Cheeeeeze
Its taste!
So stron, biting, delicious
Marching, tumbling, rushing head long
flooding pleasures to my tummy, to my mind,
and to my hands...
as I reach out for mooore.

Cheeze
Cheeze
Oh! how I love my Cheeeeeze
Its taste!
So Solid, striking, Full,
Protesting, grumbling, groaning
upwards, from that Turbulent, turning
Tummy of mine.

I need cheese!!!
by Sarah Johnson

Cheese is so good, so great
Just keep piling it on my plate
Old, colby, cheddar so fine
thinking about it makes me want to rhyme
Cheesy poem, cheesy cheese
Ummm...more please!!!
I need cheese
without it my life is just one big tease
Now that this poem is almost done
let's go have some fun...
cheese on crackers, cheese on toast
Thanks for watching me boast...
I NEED CHEESE!!!!

A Slice of Life!
by Sheena & Elaine Nadalin

What are the many human needs,
We know one! Its got to be cheese.
From the smoothe and tasty, Edam and Gouda,
Its got to be the most satisfying fooda.
In Tavistock, cheese making is an art,
They've practiced long to make it tart.
And Ingersoll is no cheese slouch,
For many eaten pounds, we can vouch.
At gatherings, socials or just a party,
You can't go wrong serving Swiss or Havarti.
To sustain you through this stressful life,
Grab Colby or Chedder, then get a knife.
In closing, we would like to state,
Those who avoid cheese - will meet their fate.
For living without Brie or Marscapone,
You'll surely be lonely, and end up alone.

Cheese Is...
by Kara Van Slyke

Cheese is the fuzzy feeling you feel when you see crackers,
Cheese is the tingly feeling when you drink wine,
Cheese is the warm feeling when you see a cow,
Cheese is the melting feeling when you see a fondou pot,
Cheese is the gooey feeling when you see a slice of cake.
Cheese is love.

O, Oxford Cheeses
by Linda Turner

From Oxford I moved to Wellington County
Sturdy land of excess beauty and bounty
But, no, here is no cheese as that at home.
O, Oxford
with your cheeses wholesome, pure and neat.
O, Oxford
fields roamed by stalwart, worthy Holstein feet.
O, Oxford
how I long to taste the cheeses I left there.

To a Vain Cheese
(a cheese parody in the style of Lord Byron's "To a Vain Lady")
by Bryan Yeung and other OCL staff
(Kara Van Slyke, Heather Graydon, and Sean Minty)

Ah, heedless cheese? why thus disclose
What ne're was meant for mortal nose
Why thus destroy the world's repose
And dig the source of future lows?

Vain Cheese! They ling'ring woes are nigh
If thou believ'st what your makers say
Oh from the deep milk curds fly
Not fall the yucky spoiler's prey

Dost thou repeat, in cheesy boast,
the words olfactories decry
Thy curds, thy whey, thy all is lost
and seven maids a milking cry

While now amongst thy dairy peers
rumours are that you've gone stale
Canst thou not mark the jeering leers
filtered masks alone will veil?

Cease, if you prize your recent fad
this rot into a sticky paste
One, who is thus from nature bad
I pity but I cannot taste.

cheese dog
by mighty mouse
Cheese dog's
They are cheesey
they are yummy,
they are greasey.

Good for breakfast,
lunch or dinner,
but not all the time if your trying to get thinner.

After reading this you might feel fear.
Do not worry,
I promise not to make poetry a career!

So Long Song
by C.L. Denton
It has been a pleasure to eat you.
But if you must know,
I think you should go

You keep bones healthy and strong
And don't get me wrong
this anatomy sings your song
But come on, you've been here so long
it got to be time to say so long
How about a ditty on milk in the city
or curds and whey with the rurals in May.

It would be nice to cut loose
all the bricks from my caboose just to see
what other things the udder helps to produce
beside blessed cheese. So please cheese,
step aside and let's see what other
pleasures and treasures are in the delivery.

CHEESE SQUEEZE
by C.L. Denton
How I love to squeeze
tubes of bacon cheddar cheese.
Swirls of cheese that lay down with ease,
and have a taste that does please.
Oh how I love that creamy bacon cheddar cheese.
Would you believe tubes of orange squishy stuff
make lips smack from a pack. Yes indeed!
This delightful dish makes me wish
that the designers of this squish
would come up with something more to please
buds that are so hard to tease?
How about tubes of moccha swiss cheese, or mild melon brie.
But please! Let us not lose that bacon cheddar cheese.
It's the one that lays down with ease, and it does please.

The Dairy Air
by Shirley Lovell
The Dairy Air

A melody of grateful words
We sing to noble dairy herds.
Producing Nature's Perfect Food
To keep us in a healthy MOOO-d,
Requires working night and day
No holidays and little pay.
When udders burst with nature's best
We humans reap the sweet harvest.
But this we do, forget your pride,
In manner quite undiginified,
By caloused hands, or worser luck,
Those dumb machines that really suck.
This Moo Juice you so gladly make
Is ours to drink for goodness sake.
There's protein, calcium, it's said,
And vitamins from A to Z.
Then from your milk we will create
Delicious treats to fill the plate.
There's ice cream, butter, yogurt, cheese,
And chocolates rich, taste buds to tease.
With patience, you are quite resigned
To do your best to please mankind.
It's such a stable job you've got,
We're pulling for you as we ought.
But when your useful days are over
You'll not enjoy those fields of clover.
When 'pasture' prime, I have a hunch,
You'll end up being someone's lunch.
For centuries a debt we owe
Of gracious gratitude, and so
Around the world your praise we sing
To you our warmest feelings bring.
And thus we have, because we care,
Expressed them through the Dairy Air.

Pass The Cheese
by William Heslop
Pass The Cheese

The time has come the mother said
to get undressed and go to bed.
"Oh not now",the young lad pled,
"I'd rather eat some cheese instead."

Then he winked and tried to tease
his mom while begging for the cheese.
"Here I am on bended knees,
now mommy pass the Gouda, please?"

"One more piece and off you go,"
said mother tired of saying no.
Just then the boy lamented "Oh"
and dropped the Gouda on his toe!

The moral here is clear as day,
the consequences say you pay.
When mother speaks you should obey,
that's why your toe got in the way!

Cheese plays a role, is that not true?
Like Baby Swiss and Devon Blue
or Munster, Bra and Richelieu,
and Golden Cross . . . to name a few.

Oh the textures, tastes . . . the expertise.
Let's put them all in galleries.
But first take pictures if you please.
And each should smile by saying CHEESE!

Cow Talk
by Elizabeth Bustard

She stopped by my fence,
laid her bag on that
large rock you see there.
Opening her bag
she withdrew a mirror.
Holding it in one hand
she applied lipstick.
Fished some more in her bag
then, sitting on the rock
dumped the contents in her lap.
Toonies, loonies, notepad, pens,
cigarettes, a lighter, other odds and ends.
"So much stuff" she grumbled.
At last, the emery board!
Nail care is so very important.
Refilling her bag, she got up,
waved to the young man
way down the road,
then left, her bag flung
over her shoulder.
I bawled!
Hesitating she turned.
"Stupid cow" she retorted.
I glance downward,
my bag is also heavy,
heavy with milk,
the result of the day's
grazing, chewing the cud,
digesting, producing
milk to drink,
milk for butter,
milk for cheese,
milk for yogurt,
milk for ice cream,
milk for children!
Bawling, I fall on my knees.
"Oh God, what wouldn't I give
to be able to pour my milk,
my life blood
into the world's hungry,
into the world's hungry
children.

I carry the gift of life
in my bag.
Look again sister
What do you carry?

The Ladies
by Janice M. McDonald

Almost without fail
They'd come for a visit,
Eyes large onyx pools,
Breath sweet with clover,
Coats of designer black and white,
Gently they'd call at the fence,
Waiting to be noticed,
Never concerned about time,
Never stressed or bitter.
We'd converse softly,
Discussing garden flowers
Or current fields conditions.
Our time was spent
In unpretentious communion,
Whiling away the afternoon
Till heavy bosoms called them home.

I do so miss the ladies-
Gone away I suppose,
To far-off greener pastures.
The back fence misses them, too:
Its rust is drabber,
Its sag much deeper.
In fact, the whole view
From my dishes window
Is that much pooer
Without the natural country-ness
Of their tea time visits.

Cheese Please
by C.L. Denton
Soft crumbly white cheese
Greek salad broken in two
ah sweet feta

Brie Poetry
by C.L. Denton
There once was a cheese named brie
That ran around whispering a melody
Then one day it was captured by the moooetry
That taught it how to write poetry
Now it runs around mooing at trees poetically

Meeting the Challenge
by Ron Skinner
Meeting the Challenge

While Oxford County still holds sway
As milk producers lead the way,
We in Perth are close behind
And bound to beat you in the grind.

Oxford has its Hills of Zorra,
Perth, its rolling Easthope flora;
And if Perth turned its cows to grass
Your Oxford record we'd surpass.

So Oxford dairiers suppress your pride
Though disappointment's hard to hide.
Just accept the influx of the hog,
And keep in memory what cheese has logged.

Remove thyself from lofty berth!
Give way to upstart County Perth!

The Mythical Cows of Oxford County
by Dave Older
Through the gaping mouth of hayloft doors
the sunlight stretches across the floor,
and jarring collisions of bales of hay
send dust to sparkle in slanting rays.
Shadows leap frog across the fields
to darken windrows of curing yields.
And cool relief begins to spread
with tractor and baler, parked in shed

The growing gloom ends the day,
and night begins to have its say.
Hush hush; to creatures big and small
the drowsy lid of twilight falls.
Tree tops glow in dying light
while cackling grackle's find silent night.

Pastures dampen under twinkling sky.
Constellations spin to their zenith high.
When midnight splits the dusk and dawn,
our sleep begins with weary yawns.
From in our dream world bounty
come mythical cows to Oxford County.

Across our lawn, in the dark,
their furtive steps begin to mark,
dark rings on dewy blades of grass.
They snuffle, taste the air to blast,
hot breath from angry nostrils flared.
With fearsome wild eyes they stare.

The Mythical cows begin to pound
violent hooves upon the ground.
In regal splendor and noble carriage
power and grace in perfect marriage.
Glorious strength of thigh and hock
marching cadence to a dreamworld clock.

Quiet repose of my sleeping giants
a sharp contrast to dreamworld tyrants.
Eyes flutter below the veil of sleep.
Cows' ears perk, in a conscious leap
toward the sounds that beckon them.
Bellow and roar, stomping mayhem.

The mythical cows begin to race
across our lawn in merry chase.
My pulse quickens in groggy alarm,
hoof beats are real and on our farm.
From bed I jump, to the window sill
to watch the herd stampede at will.
Damn!
Those cows are out again.


		Online Dairy Ode Contest Entries from Contest #1 (January 1, 2001-April 1, 2001) Kindergarten to Grade 3 Category -- Grade 4 to 6 Category -- Grade 7 to 8 Category -- Grade 9 to 12 Category -- Adult Category

Kindergarten to Grade 3 Category No entries. Grade 4 to 6 Category The Cheese Tease by Josh Brown These are my very very favorite types of cheese I'm sure that i'm not alone in the people that they please There's marble, cottage, havarti and brick And then there's parmasean as hard as a stick There's gouda, edam, brie and swiss And then there's romano which you surely can't miss And then there's the cheddar classic It must have been around ever since the Jurassic And now that you've finished listening about chesse your appetite will definately be teased! I love cheese. by Alisha Gillam. I love cheese Cheese, cheese Smells like peas Cheese, cheese It's such a breeze Cheese, cheese I love cheese It's such a breeze and smell's like peas! Grade 7 to 8 Category No entries. Grade 9 to 12 Category Ode to cheese and girls by Matthew johnson roses are red. gouda is yellow ladies i'm a mighty fine fellow. violets are blue mozzerella is white let me be your guiding light carnations are pink limburger cheese stinks this has made think cheese isn't so great Cheesy Lines by Emily Gray Though odes on cheese Will make me smile Cheesy poems Just aren't my style. Adult Category Ode to the Cream Separator by G.E. Stock It sat in the corner All gleaming and clean. In its countenance Mom's pride could be seen. A tribute to inventor Alphonse DeLaval, The separator was Our family's pal. Twice daily there'd be Milk fresh from the cow. We'd life heavy pails and pour, Sweat beading up on our brow. Our muscles would bulge As the crank was turned. A bell would tinkle 'Til enough speed was discerned. The separator was A magical efficient machine That turned whole milk into Thin skim and thick cream. The cat would watch And impatiently wish To be rewarded with a taste Of butterfat in its dish. The cream was made into butter To sell in the store. Farm fresh and pure, It had flavour galore. With fine-ground mash Blended in still-warm skim We'd slop the hogs In a trough filled to the brim. Our pigs grew fat and fetched The highest prices From butchers who desired To sell the best bacon slices. Our life was simple but enriched. We lived from our land, Our table always piled high With find food prepared by hand. We owe it all To the separator of cream. T'was the centre of our farm and life, This simple machine. Ode to a Cow by Ruthanne Foster Oh cow, of rolling pastures green Where crow and bluebird fly serene Cow, who art of formidable size With wisdom in thine wide set eyes Whose jaw in constant rumination Turns fodder into milk for a nation For you - no plough to pull in toil Yet, you put back into the soil When spring's thaw melts the banks of snow Then, we can play "Cow Patty Bingo!" The Wedge by Melanie Harper, Esq. There once was a wedge of brie, Brie is known to be tasty. It thought it could hide, And oh how it tried, But it could not escape me. Cheeze by Keith Lewis Cheeze Cheeze Oh! how I love my Cheeeeeze Its taste! So subtle, delicate, interesting Sliding down my throat Spreading inward, upwards, outwards exploding pleasures in my tummy, in my mind and in my hands... as I reach for more. Cheeze Cheeze Oh! how I love my Cheeeeeze Its taste! So stron, biting, delicious Marching, tumbling, rushing head long flooding pleasures to my tummy, to my mind, and to my hands... as I reach out for mooore. Cheeze Cheeze Oh! how I love my Cheeeeeze Its taste! So Solid, striking, Full, Protesting, grumbling, groaning upwards, from that Turbulent, turning Tummy of mine. I need cheese!!! by Sarah Johnson Cheese is so good, so great Just keep piling it on my plate Old, colby, cheddar so fine thinking about it makes me want to rhyme Cheesy poem, cheesy cheese Ummm...more please!!! I need cheese without it my life is just one big tease Now that this poem is almost done let's go have some fun... cheese on crackers, cheese on toast Thanks for watching me boast... I NEED CHEESE!!!! A Slice of Life! by Sheena & Elaine Nadalin What are the many human needs, We know one! Its got to be cheese. From the smoothe and tasty, Edam and Gouda, Its got to be the most satisfying fooda. In Tavistock, cheese making is an art, They've practiced long to make it tart. And Ingersoll is no cheese slouch, For many eaten pounds, we can vouch. At gatherings, socials or just a party, You can't go wrong serving Swiss or Havarti. To sustain you through this stressful life, Grab Colby or Chedder, then get a knife. In closing, we would like to state, Those who avoid cheese - will meet their fate. For living without Brie or Marscapone, You'll surely be lonely, and end up alone. Cheese Is... by Kara Van Slyke Cheese is the fuzzy feeling you feel when you see crackers, Cheese is the tingly feeling when you drink wine, Cheese is the warm feeling when you see a cow, Cheese is the melting feeling when you see a fondou pot, Cheese is the gooey feeling when you see a slice of cake. Cheese is love. O, Oxford Cheeses by Linda Turner From Oxford I moved to Wellington County Sturdy land of excess beauty and bounty But, no, here is no cheese as that at home. O, Oxford with your cheeses wholesome, pure and neat. O, Oxford fields roamed by stalwart, worthy Holstein feet. O, Oxford how I long to taste the cheeses I left there. To a Vain Cheese (a cheese parody in the style of Lord Byron's "To a Vain Lady") by Bryan Yeung and other OCL staff (Kara Van Slyke, Heather Graydon, and Sean Minty) Ah, heedless cheese? why thus disclose What ne're was meant for mortal nose Why thus destroy the world's repose And dig the source of future lows? Vain Cheese! They ling'ring woes are nigh If thou believ'st what your makers say Oh from the deep milk curds fly Not fall the yucky spoiler's prey Dost thou repeat, in cheesy boast, the words olfactories decry Thy curds, thy whey, thy all is lost and seven maids a milking cry While now amongst thy dairy peers rumours are that you've gone stale Canst thou not mark the jeering leers filtered masks alone will veil? Cease, if you prize your recent fad this rot into a sticky paste One, who is thus from nature bad I pity but I cannot taste. cheese dog by mighty mouse Cheese dog's They are cheesey they are yummy, they are greasey. Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but not all the time if your trying to get thinner. After reading this you might feel fear. Do not worry, I promise not to make poetry a career! So Long Song by C.L. Denton It has been a pleasure to eat you. But if you must know, I think you should go You keep bones healthy and strong And don't get me wrong this anatomy sings your song But come on, you've been here so long it got to be time to say so long How about a ditty on milk in the city or curds and whey with the rurals in May. It would be nice to cut loose all the bricks from my caboose just to see what other things the udder helps to produce beside blessed cheese. So please cheese, step aside and let's see what other pleasures and treasures are in the delivery. CHEESE SQUEEZE by C.L. Denton How I love to squeeze tubes of bacon cheddar cheese. Swirls of cheese that lay down with ease, and have a taste that does please. Oh how I love that creamy bacon cheddar cheese. Would you believe tubes of orange squishy stuff make lips smack from a pack. Yes indeed! This delightful dish makes me wish that the designers of this squish would come up with something more to please buds that are so hard to tease? How about tubes of moccha swiss cheese, or mild melon brie. But please! Let us not lose that bacon cheddar cheese. It's the one that lays down with ease, and it does please. The Dairy Air by Shirley Lovell The Dairy Air A melody of grateful words We sing to noble dairy herds. Producing Nature's Perfect Food To keep us in a healthy MOOO-d, Requires working night and day No holidays and little pay. When udders burst with nature's best We humans reap the sweet harvest. But this we do, forget your pride, In manner quite undiginified, By caloused hands, or worser luck, Those dumb machines that really suck. This Moo Juice you so gladly make Is ours to drink for goodness sake. There's protein, calcium, it's said, And vitamins from A to Z. Then from your milk we will create Delicious treats to fill the plate. There's ice cream, butter, yogurt, cheese, And chocolates rich, taste buds to tease. With patience, you are quite resigned To do your best to please mankind. It's such a stable job you've got, We're pulling for you as we ought. But when your useful days are over You'll not enjoy those fields of clover. When 'pasture' prime, I have a hunch, You'll end up being someone's lunch. For centuries a debt we owe Of gracious gratitude, and so Around the world your praise we sing To you our warmest feelings bring. And thus we have, because we care, Expressed them through the Dairy Air. Pass The Cheese by William Heslop Pass The Cheese The time has come the mother said to get undressed and go to bed. "Oh not now",the young lad pled, "I'd rather eat some cheese instead." Then he winked and tried to tease his mom while begging for the cheese. "Here I am on bended knees, now mommy pass the Gouda, please?" "One more piece and off you go," said mother tired of saying no. Just then the boy lamented "Oh" and dropped the Gouda on his toe! The moral here is clear as day, the consequences say you pay. When mother speaks you should obey, that's why your toe got in the way! Cheese plays a role, is that not true? Like Baby Swiss and Devon Blue or Munster, Bra and Richelieu, and Golden Cross . . . to name a few. Oh the textures, tastes . . . the expertise. Let's put them all in galleries. But first take pictures if you please. And each should smile by saying CHEESE! Cow Talk by Elizabeth Bustard She stopped by my fence, laid her bag on that large rock you see there. Opening her bag she withdrew a mirror. Holding it in one hand she applied lipstick. Fished some more in her bag then, sitting on the rock dumped the contents in her lap. Toonies, loonies, notepad, pens, cigarettes, a lighter, other odds and ends. "So much stuff" she grumbled. At last, the emery board! Nail care is so very important. Refilling her bag, she got up, waved to the young man way down the road, then left, her bag flung over her shoulder. I bawled! Hesitating she turned. "Stupid cow" she retorted. I glance downward, my bag is also heavy, heavy with milk, the result of the day's grazing, chewing the cud, digesting, producing milk to drink, milk for butter, milk for cheese, milk for yogurt, milk for ice cream, milk for children! Bawling, I fall on my knees. "Oh God, what wouldn't I give to be able to pour my milk, my life blood into the world's hungry, into the world's hungry children. I carry the gift of life in my bag. Look again sister What do you carry? The Ladies by Janice M. McDonald Almost without fail They'd come for a visit, Eyes large onyx pools, Breath sweet with clover, Coats of designer black and white, Gently they'd call at the fence, Waiting to be noticed, Never concerned about time, Never stressed or bitter. We'd converse softly, Discussing garden flowers Or current fields conditions. Our time was spent In unpretentious communion, Whiling away the afternoon Till heavy bosoms called them home. I do so miss the ladies- Gone away I suppose, To far-off greener pastures. The back fence misses them, too: Its rust is drabber, Its sag much deeper. In fact, the whole view From my dishes window Is that much pooer Without the natural country-ness Of their tea time visits. Cheese Please by C.L. Denton Soft crumbly white cheese Greek salad broken in two ah sweet feta Brie Poetry by C.L. Denton There once was a cheese named brie That ran around whispering a melody Then one day it was captured by the moooetry That taught it how to write poetry Now it runs around mooing at trees poetically Meeting the Challenge by Ron Skinner Meeting the Challenge While Oxford County still holds sway As milk producers lead the way, We in Perth are close behind And bound to beat you in the grind. Oxford has its Hills of Zorra, Perth, its rolling Easthope flora; And if Perth turned its cows to grass Your Oxford record we'd surpass. So Oxford dairiers suppress your pride Though disappointment's hard to hide. Just accept the influx of the hog, And keep in memory what cheese has logged. Remove thyself from lofty berth! Give way to upstart County Perth! The Mythical Cows of Oxford County by Dave Older Through the gaping mouth of hayloft doors the sunlight stretches across the floor, and jarring collisions of bales of hay send dust to sparkle in slanting rays. Shadows leap frog across the fields to darken windrows of curing yields. And cool relief begins to spread with tractor and baler, parked in shed The growing gloom ends the day, and night begins to have its say. Hush hush; to creatures big and small the drowsy lid of twilight falls. Tree tops glow in dying light while cackling grackle's find silent night. Pastures dampen under twinkling sky. Constellations spin to their zenith high. When midnight splits the dusk and dawn, our sleep begins with weary yawns. From in our dream world bounty come mythical cows to Oxford County. Across our lawn, in the dark, their furtive steps begin to mark, dark rings on dewy blades of grass. They snuffle, taste the air to blast, hot breath from angry nostrils flared. With fearsome wild eyes they stare. The Mythical cows begin to pound violent hooves upon the ground. In regal splendor and noble carriage power and grace in perfect marriage. Glorious strength of thigh and hock marching cadence to a dreamworld clock. Quiet repose of my sleeping giants a sharp contrast to dreamworld tyrants. Eyes flutter below the veil of sleep. Cows' ears perk, in a conscious leap toward the sounds that beckon them. Bellow and roar, stomping mayhem. The mythical cows begin to race across our lawn in merry chase. My pulse quickens in groggy alarm, hoof beats are real and on our farm. From bed I jump, to the window sill to watch the herd stampede at will. Damn! Those cows are out again.
Copyright � Oxford County Library 2001. All Rights Reserved.