Their heads bob like drinking birds,
of course, of course, of course.
Necks pulled up from their collar bones.
I have never seen throats so open
as when your snout is at their jugular
the gleam on bright white teeth
masked by sheer magnetism.
Tonight’s quadrille prompt had me a little stumped to begin with. Then I started writing about iron filings, got stuck fifteen words in, and wrote this quadrille instead. I even got to bring out one of my own sketches to use for the feature image.
Carol J Forrester 
“of course, of course, of course”
Oh, Carol. I can SO see them bobbing their heads. This is so well done.
Thank you. *grins gleefully*
This massacre with the snout at their jugular make me understand why you have mixed feelings about foxes…
No issue with them in the countryside, less appreciative when their getting busy outside the window at 2am.
Nice. I have often wanted to hear it from the fox’s point of view…
Ah, but who says it is from the fox’s point of view?
That is lovely. You caught the fox’s likeness well.
Thank you, it’s one of my better sketches.
You are welcome.
Wonderful character study. First thought was Ted Bundy, but not totally his MO. Dexter is more aligned with the fox, especially in the first season with his box of morning donuts. This poem could be written by Dokes 🙂 (Apologies if you don’t know who Bundy, Dexter, and Dokes are.)
I’m acquainted with the first two but not Dokes.
Dokes was the one cop in the office that was on to the creep factor of Dexter.
That ofcourse, of course, of course works so well. I can see them nodding back and forth. Love the strength in this.
Thank you. I’m a bit in love with that line I’ll admit
Beware! Fox in the henhouse! brilliant write.
Thank you Beverly
A fox got to do what a fox got to do. I like this Carol, well written.
Thank you
You never cease to amaze me with your use of language, gorgeously potent 🙂 I especially love; “I have never seen throats so open as when your snout is at their jugular.” This quadrille sings! 😍 😍
I do my best. Thank you
Oh, I loves me some animalistic carnage, I do; Yes’m, dis be IT!!!
Great write, CF
Thank you Ron.
We had a stray dog in 1953, and the neighbor raised chickens. One night our dog got in and killed 100 chickens. The neighbor did not force us to pay, but we had to shoot the dog. I was 9 years old, and it traumatized me.
I’m sorry to hear that.
Visually stirring, and brutal. Perfectly imagined and related, Carol.
Thank you very much Dora.
This is so delightful to read:
Their heads bob like drinking birds,
of course, of course, of course.
Thank you Grace.
Nature rules and it isn’t always pretty. As graphic as this line is, I like the perspective…
“I have never seen throats so open
as when your snout is at their jugular”
Thank you Mish, when I reread it myself I realised it could be taken in a number of ways.
A powerful sketch of nature red in tooth and claw!
Thank you Ingrid.
Your quadrille is brutally beautiful and beautifully brutal, Carol, just like foxes.
Thank you Kim. Beautifully brutal is a comment I will treasure.
The bobbing heads…..felt/seen in the repetition of of course.
WOW. If you were sitting next to me you would have heard and audible WOW escape my lips at the end of reading this. Your imagery to describe this scene is fantastic!
Thank you Lillian. I’m quite chuffed with this poem, much better than what I started writing.
You have to hand it to foxes.