Haibun: Coyote Bait

 

At the end of my last of three midnight shifts, my forecast published, waiting to brief the morning crew, I took a sticky note and – marker in hand – wrote, “DO NOT REMOVE.”  I affixed it to the forecaster’s briefing counter, off to the side.  Shift over, I bid the Air Force Weather station a three-day’s adieu.  I was proud to serve as a Combat Weatherman (able to tell you it will rain tomorrow, and then kill you).

My personal unit motto – rejected by my superiors – “First to See, Last to Care.”

Refreshed by my break, I entered the station ready for a day shift.  After the morning briefing, I reached over and removed the note I’d left so long ago.  My commander nearly shouted, “It says, ‘DO NOT REMOVE’!”

“I know.  I wrote it.”  Said with a smile.

A confused look.  “Why?”

“I was fishing for a coyote among sheep.”

 

howls keep the moon up
no peace, sleep or reflection
sign of the joker

 

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Posted to dVerse Poets Pub for Poetics: Real Life Humor.