i spent the day digging the grave. I chose the place well. Earth received. Just inbetween the Doe Sleeping/Rain House and the Curry House. On a slope of course because slope is pretty much all that is here. There is close proximity to all Doe Goat things, one of the bigger feeding bowls and overlooks the original Doe Forest where they all go each evening to browse. Where Sun last sets. In the last months of their lives, where Goats seem to spend a lot of time. The Doe Forest is where Cinderella is buried. Alyssia and Emrie arrived early evening and the 3 of us continued the digging, the breaking of the granite with the shovel, Emrie in charge of piling the broken rocks. We carried her from the Rain House on one of my beloved thick strong cotton sheets, covered her with the earth we had removed and then, in a mosaic, all the rocks we had upturned or broken. Patting them in place with our hands.
When 2 of their chickens died last summer they sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at their burial. Alyssia asked Emrie if she wanted to sing. She said yes but not Twinkle Twinkle and she sang out a clear small oh so elegant rendition of Baa Baa Black Sheep into the darkening dusk and really....so true and really, the Tree Frogs began to chant. The first of this circle of seasons, strong from down near the Wall Garden and the canal creek.
All day, as i dug, i Re Viewed what i think i know about Death. and knew again that i'm not sure about any one thing in particular. That i carry many things in me about Death. What do i know about Living and Dying? And at the moment of a death, what do we do for the Living, what for the Dead?
and maybe Goats ARE like Elephants in their own way. In their OWN way. All day they came and went. Even tho it wasn't raining. They lay down or stood as they always do. They wandered near her, stood for long times. Caroline and Arctica lay down near her. They spent time. Chewed their cuds. They were not disturbed because she was dead.
after they had left, i went back out and sang Twinkle Twinkle. Because it felt good. Goodbye, Just Going. You leave us with many memories of a very Singular No Touch Goat.
