Turning Sheep into Goats #

Beneath a setting sun, where wind whispers forgotten secrets to empty canyons, an aging farmer yearns for change. His soul, as parched as the cracked earth beneath boots, longs for something beyond the monotonous bleating of mindless sheep, and harvest of rotting tomatoes. Driven by the persistent melody that haunts in his dreams, this man is determined not only to turn back the tide but also to make his way home from the dead…

But when he reaches the village where his family live - the place where they have grown up - his heart beats too fast, his eyes burn with rage like a burning torch…. The villagers are already out on a walk; a group has gathered at the gate leading to a small field: a small, dusty house surrounded by a tree trunk, which holds an enormous mound containing a small garden, and a large stone circle around it, with a large stone cross carved across its center. The cross symbolizes death itself, and is symbolic of the loss of innocence brought upon by an accident or illness–a reminder of how much we need our parents’ love and care to survive, and how little we really do deserve them…

This is the place where the man’s life began, and where his family grew up, and the place where he was raised to believe in the power of hope, and to fight for what is good…

And now, the man is alone, and he must find a way to get home…

A few minutes later, a small, dark-skinned girl walks through a narrow alley behind the house, her head down and her eyes closed. She looks up from the mound she has built, and her face is filled with anger, and her mouth is wide open, as if she were trying desperately to communicate with the unknown, yet her voice is muffled as she speaks softly:

“My father died last night…”

She pauses, and her mouth begins to grow dry, as if she was afraid that she would be unable to speak. But finally, she speaks again, as if she were afraid that her words might be misunderstood:

“He died because I didn’t listen to him.”

And then, she begins to cry, as if she were unable to control her tears, but instead of falling apart, she just keeps on crying, until she stops. And then, she slowly lifts her head, and stares into the sky.

And the sky turns red, as if it were filled with blood, and it seems to be dripping down onto her body, making the tears fall even faster.

And then, she starts to laugh, as if she could no longer contain her emotions, and she cries even harder, until she falls to the ground, and her body is still, but her soul is gone.

Verse #

“My father died last night…”

“He died because I didn’t listen