The Rabbit

a poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

It was a beautiful night
winter had loosened its awesome grip, air mild
the moon played a symphony of silvery light upon carob trees
and gray rabbits with white chests crossed the lane,
one was caught in the headlight of my car.
Stopped switched of the light
when I turned them back on the rabbit
still sat as in shock,
picked it up, put it on the verge
its heart was beating very fast.
Next day it was still there
only dead and in its eyes
tiny ants drank the memory of a moonlit night.