For many years, the property down the street
was a hobby farm, with no more than five cows
and a small barn that leaned to one side.
Then the new owners came and knocked it all down,
replacing it with a dwelling
that seemed more fit for queens than bovine.
We heard rumors that the owners were Manhattanites
who fell in love with our town
after years of summers in their vacation home.
At the grand opening they welcomed locals
for a tour of the new facilities.
The cows seemed impossibly clean,
thanks to the conveyor belt that moved manure
into bins for organic compost.
Afterwards, they passed around trays
with tiny cubes of cheddar
and toasted baguette crackers,
and told us this was just a preview
of what’s to come.
