He knows
the chase is on, feels the switch-out
in the air, tempo change from
something tepid.
It’s time to run, but
he’s done,
the hedgerows smother him
down,
leg bleeding out, blood
a full pump
in his veins, his chest, his
ears. He senses
them close in, waiting,
rain spilling
in a misted wreath, smells this grisly
stench of man making its heavy
footed trudge. Twigs
snap
in circles rounding, leaves
fold in
on themselves. Crunched underfoot,
nature aches in silence,
roots peeled, sunk back.
Whiskers
twitch,
eyes
alert, limbs prepare to bolt
from
this blood pool.
Minutes hang
like days
til they
depart empty handed.
Hunched
in the downpour
shielding
him, smothering his musk,
the hare
licks his leg,
flesh
scabbing.
He will
not limp out
til
morning wakes,
eyelids heavy,
whole body
shaking.
Copyright
Vickie Johnstone, November 14, 2020
<3 Love it - especially the word picture - very nice. The words give rise to a real picture of a moment in his life and the shape you make with the words looks like a rabbit and his ears but also the movements he makes as he darts about this way and that - great job <3
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment, Laura. Thank god it actually looks like a bunny! That's cool you picked up on movement - I hadn't tried to show that, so that's great you felt it. It's fun making pictures out of words. I haven't done it very often :)
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