Moo Read Free Page B

strong.
    Gonna be good show heifers:
    heads held nice and high,
    ayuh.
    Zep held his own head high
    admiring the heifers
    as I stood there
    wanting to say something
    wanting to keep him there
    a little longer
    this gangly Zep boy
    but no words came out of my mouth.
    Zep repeated ayuh
    and moved on
    ducking into the feed room
    as we climbed back on our bikes
    and rode down the winding road.
    Ahead of me, Luke’s neck was outstretched
    like the heifers
    and as he pedaled
    he spoke to the retreating cows.
    Moo, mooooo.

ROCKS
    Never saw so many rocks:
    boulders and stones and pebbles
    tall as a bus
    small as a pea
    craggy and rough and speckled
    smooth and lumpy
    mossy and pocked
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  piled along
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  the water’s
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  edge
    stacked
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  in walls
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  along the roads
    jutting out of yards
    gray and brown and silver and green
    a jumble of rock stone granite
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
    you feel the energy
    beneath your feet
    coming up through your toes
    and your legs and your spine
    and out the top of your head
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  into
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  the
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 

BACK TO TWITCH STREET
    Dad sent us back to Twitch Street
    me and Luke
    on our own this time
    on our bikes
    with more books for Mrs. Falala.
    Can’t you come with us? Luke asked.
    She’s too scary. She might eat us.
    Don’t be silly , Dad said.
    You and Reena can handle it.
    And remember: be respectful.
    Down along Limerock Street
    zig right onto Chestnut
    knowing the streets now
    knowing what leads where
    knowing where the big brown dog lives
    and the little yappy ones
    waving at the life-size bear sculpture
    swooping under low branches
    along the river wall
    up over the hill
    with the wide, wide view
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  fields and valley and mountains beyond
    stop and turn around
    look back:
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  OCEAN!
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  a wide silk of bluesilver
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  spotted with treegreen islands
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  beneath
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  a banner of bluewhite sky
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  OCEAN!

    We kick off again
    round the loop
    skidding to a stop
    by the tilting house
    of Mrs. Falala
    with the open attic window
    and the
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  f l u t e      m u s i c
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  drift
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  ing
    Â Â Â Â                           d
    Â Â Â Â                           o
    Â Â Â Â                           w
    Â Â Â Â                           n
    and then abruptly stopping.
    No pig
    no alligator
    no parrot.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  I N S T E A D: : :

    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  fourteen seagulls white and gray
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  perched on the rooftop
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  beaks