Most animals are designed with their bodies to be able to get to their food sources and to escape from danger. So, for giraffes, they have a neck pointed to the tops of the trees. For pigs, their heads are directed downwards. They can only move the head up enough to be level with their backs. This doesn’t allow for any ‘star gazing’ but does allow them to do everything else the pig needs to do in it’s life.
This story was inspired by a pet pig owned by Larry Jackson. He always wondered about this topic so I just had to write a rhyming story for him. (It’s what I do)
I hope you all enjoy it.
The Pig Who Looked Up
Once upon a time there was a teeny tiny pig,
who liked to wonder off, and explore instead of dig.
He’d walk along the country side and smell the flowers sweet,
but he always wondered curiously about the sky that seemed so neat.
He’d look at his reflection in the pond water when it’s still.
And see the fluffy clouds float by, which always gave a thrill.
He’d watch the birds soar up and out and disappear from sight.
But tried he did to look up at them, he hadn’t will or might.
He watched the lamb look up and smile, he watched the chicken too.
He asked them what they saw up there, but they said “The same as you.”
He tried to explain he could not look up. He tried to share his plight.
But the others figured he could see it fine, so long as he had his sight.
But one day as the pig walked passed the barn, he felt a gust of wind.
The fluffy white clouds turned to grey, a storm was rolling in.
And with a clap of loud thunder, it started to rain down.
And it moistened the dirt in front of the pig, a mud mess on the ground.
And as the rain came down so constantly, the little pig did wonder,
where the water was coming from and what made that loud thunder?
He wished and wished he could look straight up but his neck would not bend back,
then a duck came waddling up to him, “Go inside.” He spoke a quack.
“Oh mister duck I’d give anything to look up and see the sky.
I can see you do it and how easy it is, but no matter how hard I try,
my neck won’t bend that far back you see, and it truly breaks my heart,
to know there’s a part of the world out there that I can not be a part.”
The duck looked up at the little pig and waddled around him slowly.
He looked at the pigs wide hind end and thought about this wholly.
He pulled the pigs spiral tail and poked his thighs and back.
Then returned to his front and looked at him, then spoke a little quack.
“Can you sit down?” The duck first spoke and watched the pig proceed.
“Can you lean back?” He asked him next, and watched the pig succeed.
“Now use your springy tail back there to hold you just upright,
and at that angle you should just get, to look up towards the light.”
And as the raining slowed a tad, a ray of sun came out.
The little pig finally looked up to the sky, beyond his round pink snout.
And as he smiled in excited joy, he watched a rainbow form,
the colors of all the world shined out, beyond the passing storm.
“Oh thank you sir duck, you’ve made my day! I can see the sky so blue.
It’s much bigger than I expected it’d be and so much color within it too.
“What a wonderful moment!” The pig exclaimed as he squealed out his delight.
Which brought the other pigs on out, to see if he’s alright.
He told them about the sky so large, the colors and clouds so fluffy.
He told them about the duck who helped. Who’s chest became so puffy.
He invited the each of them to try this trick, so they too could look and see,
the wonders of the world so bright, and asked if they’d agree.
And as the yard of pigs all sat and leaned back to look up,
they wowed and oohed and awed and such, the little pig spoke “Yup.”
He knew the world was taller than the farmers apple tree.
He knew the sky would be this grand, it was all he hoped it’d be.
So while the sun sets and the moon will rise you will see the pig explore.
Because there’s so much more to see out there, just beyond that big barn door.
Kathleen J. Shields December 2013
If you liked this poem, check out my new poetry book: A Rhyme for Everything