Dodge
Glassy shine
Of the old truck
Behind the bush
5
At the far corner table
Of the fairgrounds in a
Cage nearly hidden by
A sheet thrown over
As if neglected stood up
Rooster with feathers made
Almost mossy but wild and
Dangerous streaks of
Yellows and reds bristle
When I dared to lift
Halfway the sheet
Spring Air
Rainwater —
Enough in the
Flat of a field
For a pair of ducks
To float all day on
6
When pig turns
It’s all head
7
Ahead of us a man
With long open curls
Of gray hair carries
With one hand and leaning
Into his side a cage the
Size of a table holding
Two full-size toulouse geese
And three magnificent slime
Pond green behaved ducks
Many Spring Seasons
What I take to be
Ducklings skittering
Again across the pond
As I watched yesterday
Are old leaves blowing
Over the thinnest ice
8
Kids think
Nothing of
Running 100
Yards to the
Rides running
Back the 100
Yards asking
Us for money
And running
Away the 100
Yards a third
Time laughing
9
Paced off at thirty feet
Pairs of men toss horseshoes —
Some young and careless, others
Older and seasoned, a few older
But having to teach someone a
Lesson — my favorite was the guy
About my age who pitched his
Shoes alone — back and forth
With a ringer every third toss
Dropping softly into the sand —
He never tired, never overthrew,
Scuffed his way stake to stake
And when I left him for a moment
To watch another team finding
Later his lot vacant, shoes picked
Up with him sitting across the
Arena under a tree watching this
10
Favorite places at the fair
Heard far off as we approach —
Bell of horseshoes
Shaking working horse ground
______________
Bob Arnold
Yokel
Longhouse
2011
