Grace Claire Przywara

Grace Claire Przywara is a mother and poet from South Carolina. Her poetry has appeared in Ekstasis Magazine, Amethyst Review, Heart of Flesh Literary Journal, and The Christian Courier, among others, and has received recognition in poetry competitions hosted by human rights organizations Rehumanize International and Catholic Mobilizing Network. Her work can be found at graceclairepoetry.com.

the easter bunny

The Easter Bunny has never been big

in my family’s mythology, and thank God—

I’ve seen the grainy photographs

of terrifying mid-century mascot monsters.

But one year, when they were still married,

Mom bought Dad a realistic hand-puppet rabbit,

animated from the crook of his arm

to pretty convincing effect.

And Dad made the bunny an asshole.

Dad, the model of manners

and enforcer of decorum every other day

of the year, channeled all the sass

and sarcasm filed away within him

through his forearm and into this twitching

plush leporid. It made us giggle and scream

with glee to be insulted by the puppet

as we searched for our baskets and eggs.

The adorable dean of spring calling us

pea-brains, and Dad, who was, frankly,

a terrible ventriloquist, laughing

and coming to life.

Read more of Grace’s work in Solum Journal Volume V (forthcoming).