Late 1950s
Young enough that it was no surprise
I would fidget in church, looking around,
bored, at the adults filling the pews, there
was one woman, older, although who
knows what older meant to a kid my age,
I remember the fox stole she always
had draped around her shoulders, the
heads of all the foxes were still attached,
with one head biting the butt end
of the next fox, I could see their teeth,
their tails hung down her back, I wanted
to touch them, to pet the foxes, but the
one time I tried my mother slapped
my hand away, frowned and shook
her head at me, “no”, she even tried
to get me to stop staring at them but
whenever her attention waned my
eyes knew just where to go, I wanted it,
I wanted the foxes to start moving so I
could play with them, I wanted to see
them running around the church
barking at each other under the pews
scaring the old ladies, especially the
one who brought them into church
with her and wouldn’t let them go,
I wondered how she got them to lay
so quiet, I hoped they would wake up
and bite her before they escaped.
M. J. Arcangelini,(b.1952, Pennsylvania) has published extensively in both print and online venues & over a dozen anthologies. He is the author of 7 published collections, the most recent of which are Pawning My Sins, 2022 (Luchador Press) and Fierce Kisses (Rebels & Squares Press) 2024.