after the kill
Rent from DeepDyve- after the kill
after Patricia Smith
You don't get this game,do you brother?
It's not about the split craniumor the instant hemorrhaging—
the perfect shot.Not about sensing the rustle
before it rustles,not about dressing
the organs quickly,not about the trophy
on the wall,or the bellies filled.
Now listen.
It's about the smooth entering,from behind,
through the legs,those thick muscles.
It's about the silence after.The clutched breath.
It's like you learned butyou don't know. [End Page 16]
I thought I taught you better.I thought I showed you
how to leave a buck staggeringfor more, how to leave it
by the field, swollen& near its grassy tomb,
how if you wait for it to heal,it can be hunted again. [End Page 17]
Lukas Ray Hall holds an MFA from Pacific University. His poems have appeared in or are forthcoming from Atlanta Review, Florida Review, Midway Journal, and Moon City Review, among others.
