Golden Shovel #6

Fences

by Thomas Page

after Robert Frost

“But they would have the rabbit out of hiding / To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean”

–“Mending Walls”

When I moved to Maryland, things were the same but

The houses didn’t have fences. Way back there they

Would have fences around anything. If they would

Call anything your property, likely would have

Cordoned trees from their yards and yards from many. The

Wildlife would sometimes get under fences. A rabbit,

For example, could get into our yard; get out

In just as much time but we didn’t have dogs. Of

All of our neighbors, we were the only hiding

Small creatures in the house. Once or twice, they got to

Go out in the yard. The guinea pig would be pleased

To soak up the sun and hop around the yard. The

One day he got in trouble started with yelping

When he got into a neighbor’s yard with big dogs

We ran to the fence, hoping to coax him from the

Dogs’ barking. We heard nothing until from the gaps

Shot out like a shadow back into our yard then I

 

Brought him into the house away from dogs so mean.