Five Minutes

On a day when Phil did multiple little repairs
To wiring and brakes,
When he ran to town for a replacement part,
Commandeered sons to aid his efforts,
Cut out two cows and corralled them
With only a little help from me;

On a day when he drove two hours,
Pulling a couple of tons of animal and trailer,
When he was out working before I got up at seven,
And finally pulled in to the abattoir at just about four,

He learned that this was actually the wrong day,
That tomorrow is the day to receive animals.
Had he pulled in five minutes later,
The employees, who were all about to leave,
Would have been gone and he would have had no help
To talk through options, left with
The sudden realization of complete misunderstanding,
Forced to turn around, still fully loaded.

But he was there in time. The owner helped unload
And found hay for the cows. Depending on work flow,
The cows might spend only one night in the holding pen,
Not two. We can hope.

But to think: a single stop for coffee,
Or a bit longer lingering over lunch,
Or the not uncommon frustration of being
Stuck behind someone driving slower than you ...
Five minutes out of a day can be spent in many ways.

Don’t think about it.
Thanks be to God for such perfect timing.