Owen at Twelve
Owen gets burned and says almost nothing
sprawls across my lap
trying to capture light and feathers
just right
tells stand-up-comedian-quality jokes
(he asserts)
while cracking himself up until he squeaks
works hard every day
to get a huggie! response from his brother
sleeps sound while a hyena
yowls its way through camp
eats whatever meat is set before him
knows birds he’s never seen before
nearly as well as he knows
how to turn the tumblers
on each one of our hearts
while arching his eyebrows
giving a mischievous sidelong look
