The Lament of The Black Sheep

A retelling of the classic nursery rhyme about an unfortunate black sheep who gives away the only thing he owns and is left cold and alone. At the age of two my son Luke would sit in the back of the car singing “Baa baa black sheep... wool? No.” There was a bleakness in the innocent way he simplified the song that inspired me to look at it from the perspective of the sheep.

Come now little black sheep, what have you done? Gave away your fleeces three and now you have none.

You gave one to the ploughing man to give to his growing son, you gave one to the ploughing man and now you have none. The ploughing man, the ploughing man, the ploughing man has one. You gave one to the ploughing man and now you have none.

You gave one to the farmers wife to make her blankets from, you gave one to the farmers wife and now you have none. The farmer’s wife, the farmer’s wife, the farmer’s wife has one. You gave one to the farmer’s wife and now you have none.

You gave one to the little boy whose life it had just begun, you gave one to the little boy and now you have none. The little boy, the little boy, the little boy has one. You gave one to the little boy and now you have none.

The coldness it is setting in, your skin it is raw and numb. The coldness it is setting in, and you are barely warm. Setting in, it’s setting in, the coldness it has come. The coldness it is setting in and you are barely warm.

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