A little cold spell is upon us. Last night it was only a couple of degrees above freezing, and it rained. I went out at midnight. There’s just one lamb needing help with extra feeding now. With my forehead lamp, into the flock, they’re at ease with me, just standing, staring. Where was the little one? Not with its mum, I could see the number tag in her ear. I walked right around the flock, no little white one. Worried. I was humming a pop song. It started to seem like the silly words about love were about me and the lamb. “Where are you? I need you. I never knew I could miss you so much. Can we turn back time? Time is a river.
“Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes, hold back the river so I can stop for a minute and be by your side.” There it is, lying there. Blood runs from its throat. A scavenger bird must have already got there.