Why does the cock crow with first sight of light in the air?
Why does the cock step forward to the east in the morn’, sacrifice his shroud, and bear the silence his neck?
Why does the cock disclose himself amidst the night?
Who does he crow for? Should he crow were there no hens? No farmers, dogs, or horses?
And those hens
Who sleep as it would always be night
As there were no wolf, coyote, or dog
Who look out, thoughtless, above the swaying wheat, able to faculty such wory free and faithful feathers under the wings of elders
Who peck at the corn, seeds, and grains
Why should the cock crow?
Why should the cock step forward to the east in the morn’, sacrifice his shroud, and bear the silence his neck?
Why should the cock disclose himself amidst the night?
What does he crow for? Would he crow were the hens not innocent? Not reverent, piteous, and tender?
And that pity
Because that which trusts in the trustworthiness of all things
Sees no foe, danger, or error
Which walks careless, meets another open, nudging chicks along, generous
Which yields to owner as gaurdian, but to any guardian and any guardian’s impulse
Because by their faith, it should be good
Why could the cock crow?
Why could the cock step forward to the east in the morn’, sacrifice his shroud, and bear the silence his neck?
Why could the cock disclose himself amidst the night?
How does he crow? Know he to crow if it was not through trial? Not through failure, grit, and care?
And that failure
Whence as a young chick, responds to that fire in his bosom, rises before his flock, and squawks screeching gurgles back down under the wings of elders
And that grit
Perturbed in his feathers, and gathers, no matter
And that care
To rise again
And fail
Why does the cock crow?
Who does he crow for?
When each hen begins to look up from the corn, seeds, and grain
When the elders tuck their wing
As his squawks smooth into a reverberant, joyous crow
As they begin to bow
Why should the cock crow?
What does he crow for?
As his crow were still his and in his bosom
And the hens were still faithful and generous
And the elders still wise and vigilant
Why could the cock crow?
How does he crow?
As he nestles into the warm bosom of each safe one
Who heard his whole, full crow
