There Are Still Some Mysteries

My young neighbor attended an
agricultural college and came
home with a diploma and a major
in genetics. He bred the son
of a prize bull to a cow whose
pedigree made her the queen of
the country. Then he bled anxiety
for nine months to pass.
He invited me over when the cow
reached her term. And one day
when the weather let me finish
morning chores before I had to
start the chores at night, I went
to see. His face wore the look
of a man who explored a new land
with the wrong map. He showed
the calf, the cutest little whiteface
you ever saw, lively as a cricket—
but a dwarf! He shook his head,
there are some things, he said,
I do not understand.

    Original Citation
    Poetry Now 5.4 Issue 28 (1980) 34.
    Word Count
    130
    Original Publication
    Date Published
    1980
    Complete Poems
    407
    First Line
    My young neighbor attended an
    Poetic Form
    open
    Twitter Quote
    His face wore the look / of a man who explored a new land / with the wrong map.