memories from the trailer park: rabbit
by Justin Hyde

us kids gathered
at the playground
next to the
laundromat,

twisting slide
swing set
merry go round.

some days
the older boys
declared:

"ray - but hunting."

large rocks were gathered
from under the bushes
lining the laundromat.

my small hand
could not carry them
well,

and my arm
was not accurate,

but on that day
randy halsrud
got one.

the rabbit had
ran fast
between mr. dougan
and mr's richard's
trailers.

flush on the head
with a purple rock.

we gathered,

he kicked himself
in a circle,
spinning on his head.

randy picked him up
by the neck,

held him high in the air.

he looked very long,

and red spilled
out of his mouth.

randy threw
him against the tree
in mr. dougan's yard,

they laughed
and moved on.

his eye twitched
back and forth
very fast,

the red stained his fur
all over his mouth
and on his left ear,

dark lines
on the blades of grass,

very warm
to my hand,

the skin
was loose
on his body,

like water,

moving easily
with my fingers,

back and forth

over his ribs.

Copyright © 1999-2007 by Amarillo Bay. All rights reserved.
Individual works are copyrighted by their authors.