Rabbit's Foot

I bet you never knew
How lucky you'ld become
As they chopped your paws off
And painted them blue
To make a nice little key ring out of you,
You lucky charm, you.
Don't think we're really mad
But just the same
Our eyes are now fixed on some bigger game
Than those little paws,
Like ivory tusks, and tiger teeth,
Alligator skins, and eagle claws.
Perhaps someone will do this to us one day
When they reach out from outer space,
Perhaps we too will be their lucky race?

Clinton Van Inman is 65, was born in Walton-on-Thames, England, and graduated from San Diego State University in 1977 with a degree in philosophy. (Don't laugh, so did TS Eliot) He still works as a high school teacher in Tampa. One of the few last standing Beat poets, he is trying to get a collection of poems together for future publication called, ÒFar From OutÓ or ÒOne Last Beat.Ó Recent publications include the Tower Journal, Essence, The Warwick, Journal of Victorian Poetry, Yes Poetry, Poetry, Out of Four, and Black Cat Poetry. Some of his poems have been recently read on YouTube by Janet K. of Down in the Dirt magazine, which publishes many of his poems.

Find more by Clinton Van Inman in the Author Index.

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