“To: All of you. RE: Damned if I know.
I should go look at the little mudhole
I confuse with a pond and see who’s
stopped by – it has been so dry that
the pond is almost as big as a modest
living room – ours for instance, which
is three telephone rings across. Halfway
to Janesville there’s an old shed off the
road and seven small-eared owls have been
sitting there all winter. They come out
sometimes and sit on posts along the road.
I tried walking around one yesterday to see
if I could twist its head off as it screwed its
neck around watching me but it held fast.”
2021 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in A guide to Juneteenth.
