THE LAMBS
Out in the sticks
at our Godfather's farm
me seven, my brother six
sit mesmerised at Dad
dismembering with respect
a handful of skinless lambs
hung long enough
we don't have to worry
about any blood spatter -
this rite of passage is clean
despite the stain of bleating
in the background
from the stock not yet for slaughter
trying to distract with moans of life
but our stares are steadfast
following every saw-slice through sinew
and cleaving hack through tissue and bone
as joints are bound
into greaseproof-parchment paper
and bundled into boxes
one for us to take away
the other twelve for our Godfather
who lights a makeshift barbecue built of brick
scorching the savoury hay-grass beneath
and sets about grilling
the best lamb cutlets
I'm ever likely to taste
fresh from their funeral pyre
he sweetens them up
with homemade mint jelly his wife has made
from the cottage garden-kitchen
and we have mars bar krispies for dessert
while the adults have a beer or two
and the crying from the lambs
is silenced by the sheepdog’s snarl and bark
and we’re given pats on the back
by a bunch of proud men
who smell of hay and blood
two young boys
- toughened up in spring's twilight.
Paul Adam Short is a working-class writer and poet from Newcastle Upon Tyne. The culture, landscape and history of North-East England play a massive part in his inspiration when writing. Paul has been published online in @stymiemag, @dailydrunkmag and @darkpoetsclub. In April 2021, Paul won the Press 53 ‘53-Word Short Story Contest’. Recently, Paul appeared on the Eat The Storms Poetry Podcast reading some of his works.
@PaulWritesPoems
Flight of the dragonfly 