hatchlings
the old woman is counting
her blessings
which are really young chickens
running around the grounds
with little to no supervision
in the barn her granddaughter
is counting eggs before they hatch
there are over 100 eggs
the granddaughter tells the old woman
who is rocking slowly in her chair
acting as if the number must be accurate
refraining from repeating an old adage
she herself learned as a little girl
december two thousand twenty-four
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