Monday, December 9, 2019

YOKEL ( 9 ) ~








Giraffe





Native one day had one of those

Plastered wire sculptures in

His dooryard and it was a giraffe 

And though his kids were too old to

Appreciate the thing it looked newer

And brighter than anything for miles

Around. It must have been picked

Up by Native on one of his autobody

Rounds or else given as payment

For some job but I hand it to him for

Plunking the friendly beast close

Enough by the road for all to see.

We knew it wouldn’t last a month

Amidst all the grime and turmoil,

Yet it was one more example of

Native trying to do well, despite

The fact by winter’s end giraffe

Was in pieces, legs last seen

Sticking up from a snowpile.





The Evening Bird






clucks,

dying



for an

answer






The Kiss






She can do this what she’s doing

If light could be liquid, well then

This is it, thrilling itself into

The lamp, and only later do I

Taste the kerosene on her lips






Mankind






Just to let you know —

A little mouse

Stuck its face

Out from the

Woodpile today



And by its 

Expression

It cared nothing

About me or

Anything about you




______________
Bob Arnold
Yokel
Longhouse
2011