The Ant and Other Farm Stories: Sweet Lauren

illustrations by jodi maas

Lauren was born on a cool autumn’s eve 
as the stars made a home in her eyes.
When Lauren cries, the whole farm grieves
and when she laughs, smiles rise.

When Lauren gained faith in her two tiny feet, 

all life on the farm stopped to see. 

One foot, then the next, she’d step and she’d step. 

“Sweet Lauren,” all urged, “come to me!”

Now Lauren well knows every inch of the land. 

She explores whenever she’s able. 

She knows the farm better than any farmhand 

 from the edge of the fields to the stable.

She seeks out adventures with Noble close by, 

finding castles in old broken shacks. 

She closes her eyes and imagines she flies, 

swooping down toward the old railroad tracks.

Each day that she heads down this old railroad line,

Lauren finds a new life to befriend. 

Just as the time that she heard a great whine 

and sensed there was something to tend.

Giving ear to the cries, Lauren finally discovered 

a fat cat that was stuck in a hole. 

It seems the poor kitty got stuck in the ground 

when chasing her lunch - a small mole.

The cat squiggled and squirmed with all of its might, 

thus hoping to squeeze its way out. 

But all of its squirming had worsened its plight,

for the cat was quite clearly too stout.

When the stuck cat heard Noble she clawed and she wriggled
and her tail pointed straight in the air.

Then Lauren kneeled down to the poor cat and giggled,

“Don’t worry, fat kitty, I’m here.”

“There-there, little kitty,” Lauren said with a pat, 

as she eased her new friend from the ground.

Her sweet, gentle voice soon calmed the poor cat 

and a purr was the very next sound.

On this farm, there’s a pond used for fishing, 

where the frogs like to croak until morn’. 

It’s also a good spot for wishing. 

One came true when sweet Lauren was born.