Friday, May 22, 2009

CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING


Twice have I killed

a rat in my wife's

presence—


The first time was outdoors:

She said she would

divorce me.


Second time was in our kitchen:

She fell sobbing

on my breast.


The impact of these events

on the rats has yet

to be reckoned.








5 comments:

Rachel said...

I would like to point out that this is NOT an autobiographical poem. Yes, Zach killed a rat last night, but my reaction was more of a: "EEW, gross" and then I went to bed.

Zachariah Wells said...

Funny, I have a distinct memory of the phrase "I'm scared" repeated by someone. Must have been the baby.

Rachel said...

Must have been. In any event, no tears were shed and I didn't go near you. For one thing, you were holding a big dead rat.

Lynda said...

Which only goes to prove that an intelligent reader never confuses the dirty rat--I mean poet--with the speaker.

Will link my pre-government-final twelth-graders to this post.

YLM said...

OK, Zach, we all know you have bravely defended home and hearth, but quit exaggerating - next it will be "Seven in one blow!"