The calf died before a potential life-saving surgery

When I was a kid, my dad would pile the lot of us in the car and drive from north Jersey to somewhere in Pennsylvania where, invariably, we'd run across a handmade sign that said "See the two-headed calf! 50 cents" I don't know if this was providence, or if my dad was a dowser for freaks and/or cute misfits. Yes, my friend, two-headed calves are real, I've seen them with my own young eyes back when Photoshop was a place where you went to get your film developed.

#twoheadedcalf #lauragilpin #poetry #cow #calf

Laura Gilpin // Two-Headed Calf

illustration of "The Two-Headed Calf", a poem by Laura Gilpin. Text to follow.

This calf wears hers heart on her head