it was the first day of the Festival of Pamplona
and I was running like a mother
down a narrow cobblestone street
and heard a scream
and looked back
at one of the bulls
which had speared a big guy
who went up in the air
like a rag doll
and I ran in front of a fat guy, el Gordo
for protection, and
then Jake
came running alongside of me
and I said «Jake! You dirty old–
pass me the wine skin.»
And I grabbed the bag and took a squirt
letting the stuff hit the back of
my throat
before I swallowed, and
Jake and me made it
into the plaza de toros
along with some other
jackasses the bulls
had missed.
Copyright © 2024 Wayne F. Burke
All Rights Reserved
***
Wayne F. Burke’s poetry has been widely published in print and online (including in Chewers by Masticadores). He is author of 8 published poetry collections and one book of short stories. He lives in Vermont (USA).
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