Bay Window Lauds

Bay Window Lauds

Bay Window Lauds

The sill plays a cruel joke – thrones me. Frames me
lording over lawn mower stripes – myself

in a shallow trench. In grass blades. Myself
persisting, despite a dickhead sun – me

in chlorophyll. Early, I find myself
swaying – me! in the black chokeberry, me!

in the rabbit’s throat. Me, the rabbit. Me 
dancing out pellets. Out-dancing myself –

my father’s pellet gun, the hawk. The joke
is a bright belly full of dark hopping

along my father’s garden & the joke
small, between wrapped talons, is the hawking

too, is the axe sun, swift, rising, this joy.
This joy, it swallows itself far too soon!