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
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
