Don’t Name the Chickens
–Charles SimicLet them peck in the yard
As they please
Or walk over to stand
By the edge of the road.The rooster strutting about
Will keep an eye on them,
Till it’s time for them
To step under a treeAnd wait for the heat
To pass and the children
To return to their toys
Left lying in the dust.
For, come Sunday,
One of the chickens may lose its headÂ
And hang by its feet
From a peg in the barn.
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash