raccoons
raze
he
saw
them
crossing ypres
boulevard
this
morning
.
at
first
he
thought
they
were
cats
.
but
the
faces
weren't
quite
right
.
they
were
raccoons.
a
mother
and
her
two
cubs.
one
of
the
children
tripped
on
a
crater
in
the
torn
thoroughfare.
she
caught
herself
before
she
fell
.
the
three
of
them
walked
with
the
casual
confidence
that
belongs
to
animals
who
don't
fear
the
light
,
because
they
know
it's
only
a
false
dawn
before
the
dark
salvo
of
their
day
begins.
the
mother
ambled
into
optimist
memorial
park
.
she
climbed
a
branched
ladder
with
a
side
rail
that
slid
into
the
ground
.
she
turned
and
waited
for
her
young
to
follow
.
his
car
was
rounding
the
corner
when
their
ringed
tails
fanned
out
into
bright
silver
leaves
.
220717
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