Childhood memories of feeding the chickens

Posted bySarah WatkinsPosted inpoetry

by Sarah Watkins

my barefoot days were spent
harvesting velvety catalpa worms

catching vibrant green grasshoppers
for the chickens

tossing them red-tinged watermelon rinds from dinner
and watching them snip, snip, snip

until only the darkest green was left
and I swore each time

I caught a grateful glint
in the beady matriarchal eye

of the scissor-beaked chicken
who always got the biggest portion

An Arkansas native, Sarah Watkins is an educator by trade and a writer by necessity. She currently resides (unfortunately chicken-free) in northeast Arkansas with her husband. You can find her on Instagram @sarahwatkinspoetry.