we trudge through snow up to our bums

drag frozen rabbits

stiff and red eyes watch our back

 

our tobaggon trails behind the ski-doo

the gas whirls and covers us

we breathe in deeply the fumes

are a glorious drug that keeps us

coming back for more

if only

during the checking of snares

 

in the basement at grandma’s house

the white fur drips and thaws

a knife slices around fur

white bone glistens with blood

a wire is tied around waboose’s ankles

it hangs

sways in the air

blood drips

sprinkles on concrete

like confetti from a pinata

 

fingers grip around the fur

and with one quick rip

the entire skin comes completely off

and is thrown in a pail

on top of many more

 

i sit on the top step and the smell hits me

it is heavy

it is a metal taste stuck in my nose

and flows to the back of my mouth

 

after all these years,

the smell sticks with me like my own skin.