Rabbit Nerve and Silent Stars

There was wonder once, in the silent beauty of stars

When butterflies were new to us and gossamer dandelions

We touched the tortoise shell of life with trembling smiles

Our days were slow and thus so armored and protected



We knew the kitten’s fur and the down of baby chicks

But did not understand the wide-eyed nerve of rabbits

We could never catch the goldfish swimming in his bowl

Until we learned to use a net to capture and control



While plucking flowers bright in color we saw them wilt

We never dreamed we could be caught up like them

We tried to save the baby bird whose rapid heart trembled

In our palm like our lip with tears as he slipped away



Things fall from the tree of life and go unrecovered

They are simply not able to fly to the nest again

On Sunday we went to church and learned the golden rule

Then life became learning as we started our days at school



We were taught the same as every other child

We were molded to become citizens and students

We learned patriotism and how to pledge allegiance

We became parts of a group bigger than ourselves



So when the teacher spoke, we never questioned

If anything was truth, we took it for granted

The adults had all the answers that ran the world

They understood the wide-eyed nerve of rabbits-we were afraid to ask



We knew everyone could be trusted absolutely

Why would anyone hurt who knew the golden rule?

Then we fell in love and thought our hearts were broken

And we began to question if everyone thought we were fools



Years passed and we were surprised our hearts healed

But we looked at our scars often and cautiously

We looked at others and began to wonder if they felt

The same as us and lost a bit of what to feel



We lost all interest in the stars for music and friends

We were social creatures finding our place in the group

Like a herd or pack or even a flock; we learned formation

We learned how to scatter and how to leave the weak behind



We fell in love again and again- but a little less each time

We expected our hearts to heal and grow tough like tortoise shell

We were fast and reckless but we built our walls to last

And we took comfort that we were thus protected



Then one day our world was shattered- our dreams scattered

We were broken-hearted again and left alone

Our tears remembered the little bird and how it died

And as we cried we wished-oh how we wished- it could have flown



We began to think about the weak we left behind

We learned regret and sorrow and it perplexed our minds

As more years passed we put aside our wild and reckless habits

We began to contemplate in earnest-the wide-eyed nerve of rabbits



Gray hair and wrinkles came- we traded our jobs and cars

Some of us changed our names and wives or went to drugs or bars

Others went seeking the golden rule- wondering still if they were fools

But we found wonder once…in the silent beauty of stars





© 2011 Fabian G. Franklin