The Dehydrated Frog On My Way to School in San Diego
Phil Ensberg
We couldn't move old Leather Back
If we wanted to — except maybe with a spatula
(We could get most of him).
Warts and all, his body was not as thick
as a pencil.
And the bottom jaw of his too-big eye-less head
Grew right into the concrete —
Spread-eagle on the sidewalk.
His twiggy arms were warped a little in the sun
So his hands didn't quite touch the ground —
But all-in-all, it wasn't clear
whether enough of him remained
to make him All-the-way Dead,
Or only Not-moving-but-Still-Watching-You Dead.
Whichever he was, we never dared to touch him —
But everyday we deliberately
Lifted our sneakers
All the way up and over
The Landmark —
The sunny-side up,
Cartoon
corpse.
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