By Lauren Schwab

Dad named this room L

for left

then this room R

for right

not L for Lauren or

R for Ryan

though that’s what my mom

would like to think

 

The L room is always fed first

“Good morning girls, it’s breakfast time!”

their grunts

and banging on the feeders

stirs up R

three buckets for L

only two for R

new piglets were born in their last night

 

“Hello kitty! You missed Momma last night,

didn’t you?”

His soft meow back turns

a smile on my face like

a light switch

 

I make my way down the isle

looking at each piglet

there’s a fat one

a little one

and one in between

though all from the same sow

yes, they really do all have hair on

their chinny chin chin

 

Each one is my responsibility

to care for

and I will do that

every day

all day

never will a day pass that a creature

is not under my care

 

call me whatever you wish

but I will call myself

a farmer