Delight

The world is suddenly overflowing with baby rabbits, cinnamon and bark-colored balls whose hops are barely discernible above the jagged line of the tall grass. I could cup three of them in my open palm at one time and still have room left over. From my third story windows Duncan looks down on two patches of grass and spends his days watching the bunnies, babies and otherwise, covert, lounge and sprawl out on their sides, half sleeping as their ears droop lower and lower while the honey bees glide over them.

This afternoon at the park, behind the management office where the broken goal posts and street lamps lay in rusted, discarded piles we watched two babies pounce in tight circles around each other, darting in and out of the hollow, steel posts and then back again, both completely oblivious to our presence until their mother appeared, ears raised and back tight. They paused, as though listening to her and then scampered for safety into the post. I released Duncan from his leash and he sprang forward, nose pressed low, head moving swiftly back and forth from side to side tracing the path of their romping. From where I stood three feet away I could hear the bunnies scampering down the length of the pipe. Duncan followed their sound and a moment later they emerged from the other end, their eyes wide, the joy of galloping delight still spread across their tiny, elven faces.

I'm not sure if they saw Duncan standing directly over them when they stepped back out into the damp Spring afternoon, but when he leaned down, his mouth open, his tail wagging, and touched his nose to their backs, his pink tongue flicking across them both in a big sloppy mess, they jerked and did a little hop which startled poor Roo and caused him to mimic them, shooting straight up into the air, his feet straight lines pointed at the ground. They darted back into the dark safety of the post and peeked out at us, one standing on the back of the other. When Duncan flopped down on his belly and crawled toward them, pressing his nose into the tight opening, they turned tail and scampered back toward the other end. He smiled and followed the clattering sound of their tiny feet and met them once again when they peered out.

Back and forth, back and forth they played. I could've stood there in the misting rain and watched the three of them for hours, those new bunnies and my big-hearted golden friend.