Visitors

Before the furnace imploded
and ducts sent smoke
up and out into the rooms,

twelve deer came to graze,
but left after two days.
A turkey hen came the next day,

circled the house twice, and then
disappeared in the forest.
Two rabbits, dancing the rabbit dance,
one hopping over the other the way
my father and brother did in a Dayton,
Tennessee club, clearing the floor amid
clapping and cheers.

Grandpa Jones came over to our table,
amazed that anyone still knew that old
folk dance.

Some warmer weather a rat snake
came out of the garage,
scattering grey squirrels ahead of it.

A bobcat came and looked through
three large, ground to roof windows,
and starred at me. I wished it would
return, but it hasn’t.

When warmer wether prevailed,
one humming bird gathered nectar
from the roses.

I put up two feeders.
Soon there were six more hummers,
fighting like children.