Mange
Mange
The mangy fox ranges
field to lawn,as
estranged from his sly skin, worn
thin–
I shout out “get away”
as I’ve been told,
the fox-stare back not bold,
but marble-shot direct
as yellow eyes reflect
a desert in the green,
this fox who shouldn’t be seen
except as stalk
in taller grass,
who pauses where I pass
to gnaw a paw–
All night the same–
the mangy fox who ranges through
my brain, kneading,
needing.
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Here’s a sort of poem very belatedly offered for Kerry O’Connor’s prompt on With Real Toads about alienation. I think Kerry was thinking in more space age-y terms, but this came up. Photo is mine of poor little fox wandering around.
Sorry to have been so out of touch. I have been working a great deal at my job and also busy with certain family obligations (and family pleasures.) Miss miss miss posting poems, but just not possible right now.
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, UncategorizedTags: brain mange, country life, fox mange poem, http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, kneading something, manicddaily, sad fox, where did the sly go?
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ManicDDaily 
August 1, 2014 at 5:15 pm
We had a fox in our woods for the first time in about 10 years – she had 2 kits – and they were such fun to watch. Se and I surprised each other early one morning as I was feeding the birds, she popped over our rock wall and we were face to face for a moment. Such beautiful wild creatures – a joy to see.
August 2, 2014 at 6:52 am
Yes, this one is very sad, but they are beautiful when healthy. k .
August 1, 2014 at 6:12 pm
The fox is such a rich symbol, k–here it is that twisty reasoner, the one who seems to defy the rules to get its way, yet remains too hard to see, impossible to catch, in both the physical and mental landscape. Glad to see you got this into shape–very effective, I think…the end mood is creepy and worrisome, as only our own fears can be
August 1, 2014 at 6:43 pm
hey you. good to see something new by you….we have a fox that lives out by the ball park…he’s a little one and still in playing mode….but def there is a metaphor behind the fox as well…and you have to be careful of those slysters…..in mind and in life
August 1, 2014 at 7:20 pm
Oh that precious thin little fox…..”needing”. Goes straight to my heart.
August 2, 2014 at 8:37 am
I love this poem, Karin. The prompt itself aside, it must rate with one of my other favourite fox poems, Hughes’ Thought Fox. There is something about the creatures which strikes a chord with me, perhaps because of the relentless hunting of them, and how tenaciously they have avoided extinction.
August 3, 2014 at 8:30 am
Thanks, Kerry. I fear I cut the poem too much to get my main feelings about it across, but it’s always hard to know what to cut what to keep. They are certainly beautiful animals–this one a little sad though and not rich-haired. k.
August 2, 2014 at 10:15 am
sometimes i wonder how much of ourselves we see in the creatures around us… a certain gaze… the desert reflecting in his eyes… his home… ha… see i’m getting all psychological…smiles… just back from my trip and probably painted too much…so don’t take me too serious…smiles
August 2, 2014 at 10:17 am
Oh, so happy you got to paint, Claudia. k.
On Sat, Aug 2, 2014 at 11:15 AM, ManicDDaily wrote:
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August 2, 2014 at 3:07 pm
Ah, poor fox. Yes, I can see it as a metaphor and as hedgewitch points out–much significance in the fox as a totem.
August 4, 2014 at 7:52 pm
always been a fan of foxes, and now, of your pen ~
August 5, 2014 at 5:43 am
Thanks so much, M. K.