Nels Hanson’s most recent poem to appear here was “The Fall” (February 2018).
Escape
By Nels Hanson
In the televised video
of the 12-foot alligator
in the neighbor’s backyard
you can see the many thick
plates along its armored back
quiver, independently, each
with a separate pulse, its own
hunger, ready to leap ahead
of other scales as eager for
the boy’s white goose rising
heavily now to safety on
nearly forgotten wings.
Good morning! I especially liked the visual imagery of the last stanza, and (of course!), I’m glad the goose escaped.
I never looked at an aligator like this. I will now.