Jackrabbits of Harlingen

With houses hogging every lot

the habitat is shrinking fast

for hounded hares of Harlingen

who cling to every clump of grass.

They‘re long and lean

with ears to match

and walk with rocking gait.

Rumps up, heads low.

In howling wind they hunker down

on sparsely covered bits of ground

and run with blinding speed when danger’s near.

Then disappear in broad daylight.

And when I think we’ve seen the last

I scan the vacant lots’ tall grass

and there they sit this tiny band

of hounded hares from Harlingen.

 Dennis Price