Drive in the country; they’re easy to find.
They chew and moo with others of their kind.
When they are plural, we call them cattle,
but what to call one, if the others skedaddle?
That’s easy, you say – one would be a cow!
Not so fast. That’s just not true now.
Try telling a farmer his prize bull is a cow.
You’re an idiot city-slicker, he’d scowl.
The word “cattle” is plural; I looked it up.
There is no singular; I’m not mixed up
We have a singular for dogs and cats.
One is a dog, and it chases a cat.
Eskimos, it is said, have ten words for snow.
We’ve got fifty for money, did you know?
Have we no respect for this loyal beast of burden?
There’s got to be some word we can determine.
Don’t tell me “bovine.” That can be an ox or a bison.
If there are words out there, feel free to try some.
Jerseys, Angus, and Longhorns are breeds of cattle,
like saying poodle or pointer. Sorry to prattle.
It’s a conundrum, makes farmers scratch their heads,
Don’t believe me? Pass along what I have said.
Embarrassed to not know what’s standing in their field,
tell them it’s the animal version of Rodney Dangerfield.