by Jennifer Novotney
Two nimble squirrels
scamper through the park.
Like acrobats they dash
across the picnic tables and grass.
dancing toward the seeds of life
scattered across the walkaway
stuffing their cheeks full of next season’s hope
soothsayers who bury the future.
Their little, curved tails electrified
flicking back and forth in rhythmic beats
holding precious kernels
between their delicate forepaws
like two prophets exchanging
their gentle prayers for spring.
Jennifer Novotney holds an M.A. in English from Northern Arizona University. She won a 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for her debut novel, Winter in the Soul. She grew up in Los Angeles, California and lives in North East Pennsylvania with her family where she teaches English and creative writing.