Rescued Cattle
Written during the Witch Creek Fire

Out of the fire-blackened trailer

Cows, bulls, calves

Twenty-seven head

Charolais cattle

Short legs, fat, hungry

Not white

Dark gray with soot and ash

Rescued from the fire

Just in time

Milling around, bawling

Scared, shying, ready to run

I throw out hay

To quiet them

Twenty-seven head

Hungry, scared cattle

Calmer now, eating