THE WEIGHT OF THE GILT

Girth squared × length ÷ 400 + 7

gets you to the weight of that pig

± 5%,

but you have to know where to measure.

It’s the heart girth.

No wonder.

You wrap the tape gently so gently

around the pig just behind her front

legs.

She feels your urgency she catches on

she stands still.

You measure the length from between

the ears

to the base of the tail.

You stop at the curlicue,

calligraphy amid the math.

She’ll understand.

If you can you correct for gut fill

but it’s hard to know

what a pig just ate.

Hard to know

what this gilt feels

when you find her secret numbers

just before you breed her. 

                                                                                                                        October 2022