The Backward Hiss.

THE BACKWARD HISS

   Whenever I and he
   saw it was hurt hurt
   badly as a child and he
   Saw it whenever he was near / Whenever I was hurt and
   bleeding hurt

   Badly enough to bleed and he
   Was near and hadn't hurt me
   Himself and sometimes even then you hit somebody
   you're not supposed to hit and after
   the first thing you ask yourself
   is did you hit too hard

   Whenever I was hurt and he
   saw it except for when
   I fell from the weeping willow cracked my ribs
   but I / Wasn't where he could see it bleeding then
   He made he bent
   over me made a sound an indrawn
   like a backward / Hiss as he bent
   over me and inspected / The wound the sound
   a snake makes but
   mixed with the sound a snake would make

   Who loves the rat between his teeth