Page 23 - Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright

10
th
THESNOW-SHOEHARE
TheSnow-shoe Hare
Is his ownsudden blizzard.
Or heco mes,li mpingafterthesnowstor m,
A big,lost,left-behindsnowflake
Crippled with bandages.
White, heislookingfor a great whiteness
To hidein.
Butthestarry nightis on histrack.
His own doggedshadow
Panics hi mtoright,thentoleft,then backwards,
Thenforwards —
Till heskidsskittering
Outacrosstheblueice, meetingthe Moon.
Hestretches up,craningslender
Liste ni ng
Forthe Fox’sicicles andthe White O wl’sfrore cloud.
In his popping eyes
The wholecrowded heavenstrugglessoftly.
Glassy mountains, breathless, brittleforests
Arefrosty aerials
Balancedin his ears.
And his nose bobs wilder
And his heartthuds harder
Tetheredthere,so hotly
To hiscrouchingshadow.
Ted Hughes
FEBRUARY
49