I get distracted by The Great Fires
after finding a dead rat in the shared
laundry room across the yard
Gilbert’s words echo
Even dying rats / want privacy
in their disgrace
I text the landlord who sounds pleased
when I agree to
“just throw it over the hill”
I want to bury the rat like the dog
in the community garden
β away from prying eyes
I like to think I understand
why it would appeal to crawl
into weeds, into darkness
β a final act