Elizabeth Smither: ‘The moon that harms animals’

The moon that harms animals

It’s going to harms animals, this moon
rising so full and huge at dusk
over this little bald hill at the edge
of a field of stubble. Stalks and
black earth, already gleaned
and dark as the darkest desire
which will come on the animals tonight.

And here, in proof, is the ragdoll cat
carried draped over a child’s arm or
worn around the neck of another, sore
and torn, hardly bearing to be held
because of the savage bites she bears
for venturing, unstoppable, through the car door
and yielding herself, in fealty, to the moon.

Elizabeth Smither