Poem: Howl

Do animals have a sense of humor? If not, watch out.

Howl    

Do wolves   
hunt us in another world?
Do bison gore us in the great beyond?
Do animals have reason to seek revenge in the afterlife?
What would a grizzly do if it ambled into this bar and saw all
the heads? The mind swoons, nursing a ditch at the New Atlas
Saloon on a Tuesday afternoon. Alone. Nobody around.
Bartender vamoosed. Bathroom?
I feel I’m being watched,
and I am, surrounded
by mounted beasts
that stare
down from
paint-cracked walls.
Marble-eyed, frozen in place,
able to tear off my sorry face,
they have ample reason to devour me.
I focus on the ice in my drink,
as if I’ve never seen cubes,
or my own reflection,
and ponder if it’s
possible
animals could
have a sense of humor.
Sure hope so.
So,
did ya
hear about the
veterinarian and taxidermist
who went into business together?
Either way, you get your animal back.
Humans have the last howl,
for now.