Shepherd Who Nurtures Sheep

Shepherd Who Nurtures Sheep
© Surazeus
2026 05 18

Because his heart begins to atrophy 
at how his body writhes with bitter hope, 
Thyrsis considers why sheep love to play 
in meadow near the oven factory, 
then plays heart-wrenching tune of futile love 
that will never be heard on the radio. 

If his sheep ever die out from disease, 
Thyrsis decides he will never go work 
in vast hall of the oven factory 
where his father worked for thirty-eight years 
till he died on his way to work one dawn, 
stricken by the corona virus plague. 

Aching to transcend sufferings of this world, 
and experience sublime beauty of nature, 
as recorded in ancient pastoral poems, 
Thyrsis explains to Daniel on the phone 
that his name is no longer Thomas Jones, 
then sighs as he glares at jets in the clouds. 

Strumming guitar while watching his sheep graze, 
Thyrsis improvises song about Daphnis 
who grows in love with graceful Xenea 
till her mean older sister, Aphrodite, 
aims gun at his head to drive him away, 
so he jumps off the Tallahatchie Bridge. 

Parking white Honda on the country road, 
Chloe hobbles through meadow of tall weeds 
to bring bags of hamburgers and root beer, 
then grumbles how she wishes he would work 
again teaching English at the high school, 
then nestles in his arms when Thyrsis grins. 

Instead of explaining to her again 
how he wants to get in touch with the Earth, 
and savor calm of timeless afternoons 
as bees gather pollen to brew sweet honey, 
Thyrsis hums enchanting tune he composed 
while contemplating how all empires fall. 

We build global economies of goods 
based on extracting from soil of the Earth 
precious minerals and nutritious crops, 
so someone must operate farms and ranches 
to sustain firm foundation of exchange, 
or it will all collapse from weight of greed. 

The shepherd who nurtures sheep in the field 
still remains one of the oldest professions 
that men have worked since dawn of history, 
so I will carry on noble legacy 
attended by the savior of mankind 
though civilizations on Earth collapse.