Shannon Costello

A small stone chamber, dark, windowless,
in the depths of my mind-
Inside a wooden barrel, solid, sturdy, iron-bound
a barrel of fears.
I go down there
lock myself in
carefully remove the lid
reach down into the sliminess
and carefully pull one out.
I contemplate it
stare at it
let it run between my fingers
always catching it with my other hand
over and over again.
I do [...]

I.
A robin with a worm
On the patch of grass that is
Between the school and the parking lot-
He sees me coming
He knows when to quit
He drops the worm and flies away.

The worm, frantically wriggling on the sidewalk
Won’t wait for the robin’s return
But sets off quickly
For safety.
Only
He’s going the wrong way-
Toward the vast expanse of [...]

Between Storms
I walked Thunder Hill Road,
surrounded by forbidding white walls of snow,
watched by an ominous sky,
hoping to see people,
and I heard birds twittering-
one last song before hunkering down,
to hide where ever birds hide during winter storms.
Blizzard Starting
Where can we put another 18 inches of snow?
On top of the snow banks, higher than my head?
I [...]

Poised on edge
Eyes blazing in a dark face
Siamese cat stands watching
Dazed and confused
Broken leg stretched out
Rabbit hops toward deadly danger
At my window
I know this rabbit’s life is done
I wonder if I will hear him scream
Cat springs and they roll together
Rabbit’s scream choked off at birth
All over in a moment, and then
Cat triumphant seizes prey [...]

right now
driving down thunder hill road
i wonder
if i’m passing by my future self,
which will be running
down this same road
an hour from now
and then i imagine
all my past and future selves
running and driving
all at the same time
up and down this same road

As I prepare to clean the oven,
I peruse the warnings carefully giv’n.
“Of this fine cleaner, please, beware!
Mind our cautions and take care!”
“Twill rot your eyes and burn your skin-
And hurt your throat- so don’t breath in!
Allow fresh air, ventilation bold-”
“Oh no!” I cried, “It’s much too cold!”
With purpose set and gloves in hand
I [...]

I wonder why the swooping blue jay seems to get it all.
His song is lovely echoed chimes, (though raucous is his call)-
Bright blue, jet black and shining white all contrast in his plumage-
With looks and actions bold he’s in the center of the scrimmage.
Then there’s the simple starling, who’s possessed of but a name.
His walk [...]

The birds are above on the feeder—
Fluttering wings,
Feathers ruffled,
Feasting.
The squirrels are below—
Flirting tails,
Ferreting out fallen seeds,
Fattening.
The cat crouches silently in the bushes—
Unmoving.
Unhurried.
Forgotten.