Stains

 
After breakfast
the mouse in the shower
is cornered behind shampoo
Its fur is shiny  
and the body trembles in fear
but I am ruthless
crushing the skull with a single blow
trying to avoid the eyes  
because I know  
they know
 
I clean up
take the corpse to the trash
mumble a few words
feeling guilty
feeling sad
 
I write a crit for a poem
about God
wondering what it all means
then hang out washing in the sun
stop to pick the blackberries  
growing wild by the garden gate
ducking their thorns
hoping for my sake
he was alone