all hours with mice
their little bone claws
scratching on the floor or
in the ceiling
and
their furry up-your-nose smell
when they die
into thumb-sized
little husks
not just inside
outside too
our front steps are cracked
so you have to take
the top two
two at once
I jump them quick
I always have
our house has propane heat
a big tank in the back
but my dad Jimmy’s so cheap
sometimes he won’t
turn it up because of bills
and since he gives me
almost no money to buy food
we don’t have tons around
that plus the mice
get to it first anyway
and eat it in the ceiling
and die and dry up
when it runs out
so
good for them
but
being thin
and cold
and quick to move
all make
me
hard to see
so
good for me