PRAIRIE DUST AND TIME

I shot a rabbit once

with a .300 Winchester magnum

just to watch him do a gymnastic

floor routine for me.

Though he rushed the double

somersault and his missing

limbs faulted the landing,

he still scored a 5.4 from my table.

Mostly because of his effort,

mostly because of his timing,

but most of all, because he

showed a certain personality most

gymnast rabbits with no limbs lack.

I once asked an old friend of mine if

one of these limbless gymnast

rabbits ever ran for office

would he win. And my friend

replied, “Well…well, if they’ll

elect a jackass like Carter,

I-I’ll reckon anything’s possible.”