I’ve had old people down the bayou
tell me animals carry all the truth

 

I need to know. Any snake hanging
from a tree means illness is on its way;

 

one swimming on top the water
says someone will leave you soon;

 

cattle sprawled out on the ground
open gates for a new storm;

 

a turtle staring at you before you notice it
sees something bent in your soul;

 

blue heron alone in the marsh call
for dead relatives, begging you to remember.

 

Should a cat drop a mole at your feet,
though, you need to turn and run.