Poetry Commission: Katy Bowser Hutson

"God, how do you play with us?"

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We often use the money from paid subscriptions for this newsletter to commission new works of poetry from writers in the Rabbit Room community. Today, our commissioned poet is Katy Bowser Hutson.

Katy is a writer and songwriter. She is the author of Now I Lay Me Down to Fight (IVP) and the coauthor of Little Prayers for Ordinary Day (IVP Kids). She’s also contributing to projects like It Was Good: Making Music to the Glory of God and Wild Things and Castles in the Sky (Square Halo Press).

She is a creator/member of the children's band, Rain for Roots. She is co-creator of the kid’s jazz outfit Coal Train Railroad. Katy also speaks at conferences and event and consults on endeavors in faith and art.

Katy lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband Kenny, their two children, and some chickens, where she has built a “wonky but serviceable labyrinth” in her backyard and hosts many deer and fireflies.

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Tangle

Before school this morning
The kids were bickering over a seat at the table
like a pair of disciples.
But, I am not Jesus,
and sent them outside to work it out,
warning them not to hit each other
or wake the neighbors with their yelling. 
I took a breath. 

They came running back in, breathless: 
the poultry netting over the chicken coop
had snared a robin. 
I grabbed a rag to wrap its flailing body––
one died of sheer panic once––
and sharp scissors to untangle the netting.

I gathered the splayed, startled bird into my cloth. 
The valiant little captive beat against my hand
then calmed in the cage of my fingers, 
watching me. 
I had to work slowly, 
disentangling one wing,
being certain no tiny feet were tied 
in the thick twisted tangle.

One precise snip: she flew away, the netting still trailing from her. 
I followed her to the bare branches of the nearest honeysuckle 
where she was snared again and hanging by her neck.
One more snip, and off she flew
to find her partner.

There was no time to sit at the table now,
to play my son’s game with him before school.
My daughter found an uncontested place
to sit and tie her shoes.

Off flew the bird.
Off flew my children.