They keep hens silly Mom points to a painted square of wood nailed to a tree They spell funny I say The world is filled with all kinds of folks Mom says And that’s a good thing Rudy scrambles up a tree He’s eight I’m nine Scrambling up high is what Rudy does when he’s anxious He squats on countertops or sits cross legged on the piano or even on top of the fridge Today he might be anxious because we’ve left the only home we’ve ever known Or maybe because our new house looks like it’s about to collapse Or maybe he just doesn’t want Mom to ask him to get eggs A narrow driveway winds up to the neighbors house It’s so far I whine 5
That’s the country for you Mom says It’s a long way between neighbors Is that a good thing It can be I point to the blocky white shapes in the neighbors field Are those bulls Because I’m not going if Mom clears her throat Okay I’m going I shake my finger at the tree Don’t go exploring until I’m back I’ll be here Rudy promises his voice muffled by the wide summer leaves Halfway up the neighbors mile long driveway I trip on a pothole and hit the ground in a cloud of dust The blocky shapes trot over I hurry to my feet and brush myself off I offer the cows handfuls of grass but they turn up their noses which are like dog noses 6
only more slobbery Every so often a huge tongue comes out and goes right up a nostril If people could do that there’d be a law against it Closer to the house I’m mobbed by a clucking crowd of chickens They peck at my shoes and shins and follow me up the stairs to the sagging porch On top of a small dirty fridge is a dented cookie tin labeled Munny Five egg cartons huddle inside the fridge the eggs so big the cartons have to be held shut with thick rubber bands I drop the coins into the tin Clink-clink The feathered mob is now tugging on my shoelaces Someone swings down to the porch from where The roof The sky They think your shoelaces are worms the girl says She’s wearing all orange orange T-shirt orange pants orange socks 7
orange shoes Her thick black braid is tied up with an orange elastic Her fingernails are painted orange I’m guessing you’re a fan of the color between red and yellow I say 8
