Skip Navigation

The Mice

By Brendan Galvin

This morning in the cold shed
I unlocked two from traps
with a trowel, freeing them for
the brushpile, where overnight
something will recycle them.

They are whole in this weather,
self-contained, and their eyes
looked up—beady, yes, but
sincere about their inability
to comprehend why chewing holes
in my rubber waders is wrong.

Then I remembered when you
were little how I used to tell you
I drove them to the P & B bus stop
and bought them tickets.

Can you still see them as I do now,
Dead End Kids clambering
up the steps in their plaid caps
and plus fours, heading for
the back window, where they’ll
wave until the bus
turns for the highway?

Brendan Galvin's most recent collection, Habitat: New and Selected Poems (2005), was a finalist for the National Book Award. He lives in Truro, Massachusetts.
Presented by

More at The Atlantic

Study of the Day: How We Really Read Restaurant Menus How We Read Restaurant Menus
The 10 bEST and 10 Worst States for High-Tech Business The 10 Best and 10 Worst States for High-Tech Business
The Fight for a Fair and Free Internet The Fight for a Fair and Free Internet
The Many Questions Surrounding Walmart's 'Great for You' Initiative Does Walmart Want What's Great For You?
Adulthood, Delayed: What Has the Recession Done to Millennials? Adulthood, Delayed: What's the Recession Done to Millennials?

Join the Discussion

After you comment, click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be asked to log in or register.
blog comments powered by Disqus
Special Report
The Next Global Economies Reuters The Next Global Economies
Lessons from the BRICs — and a look at which developing countries are on the rise. Read more ›

The Biggest Story in Photos

World Press Photo Contest 2012

Feb 15, 2012

On Newsstands Now

Subscribe and SAVE 59%
10 issues JUST $2.45/COPY

The Atlantic Monthly

James Fallows on Obama's first term, Raymond Bonner on the death penalty, Christopher Hitchens on G.K. Chesterton, and more

Browse back issues of The Atlantic that have appeared on the Web. From September 1995 to the present, the archive is essentially complete, with the exception of a few articles, the online rights to which are held exclusively by the authors.

See All Back Issues: September 1995
To The Present »

Premium Archive

For a small fee you can now access more than a century of Atlantic Monthly articles in our online archive. The archive includes articles from 1857 to the present.

Prices » | Login for Saved Items » | Help »

Sort by:
Dates:
From: 
To: 
Author:  (optional)
Title:  (optional)

Facebook

Newsletters

Sign up to receive our free newsletters

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)