squirrel stew

i met a woman
once, online,
where else, who
had three dead
squirrels
in her icebox.
they were in
sealed
plastic bags
with their heads
cut off,
and on the counter
was a yellowed
recipe passed
down apparently
through the years
by her family
for squirrel
stew. she was
chopping up
potatoes and
carrots, onions
and celery,
boiling water,
when i suddenly
realized
what we were
having for
dinner. and we
had been getting
along so well
before that too.