Rabbits Deserve Better Poems

In the very early morning, when the old dog and I stumble outside so she can make her presence known on our lawn before getting to the business of breakfast, we are usually joined by a few rabbits.

“Joined” may be overstating it. But the neighborhood buns are out in force in the pre-dawn hours, doing what rabbits do best: Being. Ears in a peace sign, tails a spot of white even in low light. We sense them weighing whether to freeze or flee. I’d like to think that through experience, they have assessed us as benign, but in the end they see a glimmer of untrustworthy interest in the old dog’s eyes, so they beat feet.

Inevitably, as they spring across the neighbors’ lawns, I cannot help myself from whispering sound effects: “boing, boing, boing, boing.” (I was perhaps overly influenced by cartoons as a child.)

Then the dog, free from distractions, gets down to business, and we head inside for kibble and coffee, in that order.

Recently I went searching for poems about rabbits. Almost all of them were ghastly, glum or gooey. But if I were going to write a poem about a rabbit, I’d try to capture their essence: beautiful, wary, gentle, noble and then — as they hop away — just a little bit hilarious.

Happy Easter, if you celebrate. Otherwise, may the quiet blessings of rabbits be with you all day long.

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Praise and Honor to Bugs

All hail Bugs Bunny, hero of my youth. Here’s a fun article whose title perfectly describes things: “Why Bugs Bunny is the Greatest Cartoon Character Ever.”