a song once
when our bellies were full
& the moon was full
coyotes howling
at the bone eye
her fingers
plucked the grass
tail slapped the water
she sang about last thursday
hiding her mouth underwater
to keep herself quiet
when trappers trapped
her momma
sheared her momma’s fur off
& left her naked
floatin round somewhere
now this beaver’s
pluckin grass like a guitar
& i’m the only human
who hears her song
the others just don’t listen:
bievers r jus aenimels
they say
tht wil nvr chanj
–Christine Lyons