Mexican chickens?
Yes! The fighting kind!
Someone told me, that they did find,
Six red hens and a red rooster, too!
To be given away! All this was true!
Our lives changed quickly!
It was a "test"!
A fence too low....and all of the rest!
They could fly high...even land, on the roof,
Slept high, in our sumac tree....
And this was proof,
That they must be free, here on my hill,
Each one so wild...with a very strong will,
One day, I looked out! The rooster was there!
Just him! No hens! They'd all gone elsewhere!
He looked so lonely, there in the yard,
Pacing up and down....scratching so hard!!
Those silly hens! Where could they be?
They'd left a good home,
And food, that was free!!
They weren't down on the road,
With the new guinea hens,
Or over in the woods, near the pigeon pens!
Perhaps a wolf had eaten them for lunch!
It served them right! Such a foolish bunch!
Many days later, I heard a strange sound,
Such clucking and chirping,
As they all came down!
Six hens heading home, all in a line,
Mothers in front.....and new chicks behind!!
Straight to my door! It caused such a fuss!
Surprising the rooster....and amazing us!
He welcomed all of them, just the same,
My daughter and I gave each a cute name,
Five, of the six hens, were nasty and rude,
They ostracized one...and stole all of her brood!
She stayed by herself and wasn't allowed,
To enjoy life, or be part of the crowd!
Then, when the chicks became slightly older,
They treated their "dad" and the other chicks bolder!
Fighting seemed to be in their blood!
They enjoyed starting trouble, by giving a shove!
The rooster put up with them, until he got tense,
Then, he would slap them, to teach them good sense!
But, he was a nice parent..did many kind things,
On hot days, they found shade and love, under his wings!
Then, all of the hens went again, up the hill!
He was left, to be a "babysitter", until,
They made nests everywhere and once again hatched,
More and more chicks...and he'd be attached,
There were about sixty....as summer did end,
Then, a strange dog came round the bend,
With a hen, in his mouth, heading for home,
I guess my neighbours didn't know, that he'd roam,
I drove into the yard....and I felt such fear,
I saw floating feathers, as I came near!!
"Please, God, not this!" I started to pray,
My yard looked like a massacre, on that dreadful day!
One faithful, dead rooster...such a sad sight!
Hens dead or wounded....a dreadful fight!!
I should have been there, to stop this disaster!
I should have driven home, just a little, bit faster!
Thank God, my son arrived...to end all of this pain,
I couldn't stop crying....it was such a shame!
No doubt, my brave rooster had been first to die,
He would have protected them! I know he did try!
Why didn't these silly hens fly, up into a tree?
The dog couldn't reach them and they would be free!!
Only one dog....destroyed sixty creatures.....who can fight????
They could have attacked him......and chased him from sight!!!!
I guess it's the same, when people have fear,
The victims are many....when bullies come near,
Bullies are cowards, pretending to be brave!
When they are threatened, they beg to be saved!
Their suit of armour, is so very thin,
It soon falls apart, if pricked with a pin!
That spaniel was lucky, that I wasn't home,
I'd have scared him a lot and got on the phone,
But, now... complaining would not do much good,
My chickens were dead! I learned, that I should,...
Never keep chickens, unless safe from harm,
You need to be there, down on the farm!!
Pauline Banning A2-75-Dec-96-D2
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