Rabbits
in earliest tepid light

pause

beneath the swing set
before
pushing slowly off

to the cluttered
woodpile

cherry wood
stripped of bark

damp
from the clouds
of spring

and now the green buds
of mulberries

sweep heavily
across dawn

hesitant as hands
reaching out

to touch
gracile creatures

hovering in perpetual
transition.

Richard King Perkins II is a state-sponsored advocate for residents in long-term care facilities. He lives in Crystal Lake, IL, USA with his wife, Vickie and daughter, Sage. He is a three-time Pushcart nominee and a Best of the Net nominee whose work has appeared in more than a thousand publications.