WINTER HARES

In the road, they appear like cut-outs
caught, frozen in my headlights, against
the snow in the dark. Facing each other,
their noses touching - from a distance,
I wonder at the odd "W" on the road,
not recognizing until almost upon them,
that they are two jack-rabbits, facing
each other and staying perfectly still.
I have to slow down to a crawl to avoid
running them over and at the last moment,
they both turn as one and stare into my
lights as if mesmerized. Then, like little
children, they turn tail and scamper off
in tandem, hopping as if choreographed
down the centre of the road, my car
lighting the way all along the block until
both finally turn into a lane and vanish.