The Tramp Family
The family that lives next door to me,
which consists of two young girls, a mother, and a father,
keep a strict regimen of trampoline jumping every day
at approximately 6:00 PM.
They jump on their backyard trampoline
and they do not take turns.
They all jump together
like happy balls of fat, pink rubber.
When they do this,
all the squirrels gather around
and S T A R E.
Though I want to believe the squirrels are conducting research
on the behavioral patterns inherent within
American nuclear family rituals
I am to inclined to believe that the real reason these rodents gather
to watch the official bouncing family of The United States of America
is to investigate the high pitched squeak of the trampoline springs.
Perhaps the springs are speaking squirrel vocabulary words
or even mentioning names?