The carcasses of spring.

we found sections of spine

animal bones  with black meat

bones protruding from

mud

          where grass had begun to grow

and coyotes at night

sneaking upon the remains

of winter  traces of blood left.   covered

by another dark

and my grandmother  old

with many deaths

feeding chickens

                                  without concern

and we   continuing beyond her

following the flight of a hawk

toward the coulee

                                        searching for

simple flowers

in some simple 

                               earth