Rabbit offers his only wisdom:
Fuck fast, fuck often. Do it
in an open field, do it
in the haybarn and
run, run, run away.
____
Rabbit, I would, I did. Picked hay
from my creases and let seed
spill down my thigh. But, Rabbit,
it’s the running I could never do,
the leaving of the garden. You
in the field, all legs and long
of tooth, have never met the trap,
the farmer’s gun, the poison honey.
____
He could not say a thing. He knew
nothing of love, its sticky strands,
its dull tarnish. He ate my flowers
and ran. I finished the weeding.
Cried in the shower and dreamed
of his children: their gentle eyes,
rapid hearts. Changed my mind.
___________
This poem was published first in HAD, an online literary journal. If you're unfamiliar with their website, please click through and enjoy -- the editors have selected a large body of wacky, wonderful poems and prose for you to lose yourself in.
About the Creator
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Violence Begets
"Any last words, cowboy?" "None you'd understand, sodbuster." "Funny. That's Marshall Sodbuster to you. But I meant some last nugget that would help us in the adjudication of the myriad offenses counted against you and your gang. I wasn't asking for penitence."
By Adam Diehl4 days ago in Fiction
Comments (17)
Rabbits are a lot more rapid than we are huh! "it’s the running I could never do, the leaving of the garden."- I like how this line plays on the idea of staying after the fact, as opposed to a rabbit bolting away Suze. This poem becomes so visual because of that furry, fast creature, and it ends with a sharpness that hits.
Back to say congratulations on placing 2nd place for this amazing poem on the leaderboard this week!
I really did get lost in this one. You have such a voice, and it's really strong here.
Extraordinary
THis is brilliant, fantastic work.
Oh my goodness. This is heart-rendingly good
Congratulations, Suze!
CONGRATULATIONS on getting this published. That's a difficult feat! Also, I absolutely love the poem and a double congratulations on top story. :) Well done.
What a lovely poetic perspective. Congratulations on Top Story, too!
Appreciate your victory. Congratulations 🎉.
Unique!
OMG Suze this is amazing and so sad! So well done!
Extraordinary poetry, Suze. I feel like I have entered a strange and mysterious world reading this, simultaneously Sapien and Leporidae, the terror and tenderness of the experience singular and whole.
This is a super well written poem! Very powerful.
This is amazing! What a powerful poem and beautiful journey you take us on.
Well done. This is excellent.
Rabbit wisdom is hard to live by, no question about it!