Hare, Hare

One of our ubiquitous rabbits – 

I know they’re hares because they're huge

but I prefer to think they’re just rabbits – 

keeps reappearing on the front lawn.

He’s a “tweener” trapped in that nether world

of not knowing whether to stay his lovely 

milk chocolate summer colour or let his fur 

go completely snow-white 

so he’ll be camouflaged

and safe from his winter predators.

It happens every year but it still catches me 

by surprise (him too most likely) to see him 

with his white head and tail

and brown body and paws, 

or vice versa.

I imagine his eyes look confused,

as he sits there, whiskers twitching, 

beneath our sentinel straight firs.