John Poch

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Bison

Have you heard the one
about the buffalo dad
who sends off his son

to college? What does
he say to the little lad?
Bye, son… The boy says,

I herd that! Oh my,
a dad joke, and a bit sad.
Surely you know why.

Coyote

Curious, sly, cute,
they come out at night like owls,
but don’t give a hoot

or fly. Kind of brown,
they like to cry in vowels
when the sun goes down.

We call this kind of
singing to the full moon: howls.
They might call it love.

Kestrel

The smallest raptor,
it hovers what seems all day…
then dives to capture

a bug, mouse, or mole,
some poor, unfortunate prey
who out of his hole

felt sunlight, renewed,
and didn’t in any way
expect to be food.

John Poch is Professor of English and Creative Writing at Grace College in Indiana. His eighth book of poems, The Future of Love, will be published by Slant Books in March 2026.