A Few Unicorn Facts You Probably Don’t Know
Poetry
The Unicorn/Ruby Van Bendegem
it’s hard to cuddle a narwhal on your lap
but you can do it when they’re small
like a trout or a smelt or a mackerel
watch out for their antlers
most people don’t know
that young whales have antlers
the narwhals decide at a very young age
whether they want antlers or a tusk
everyone chooses a tusk
no one has ever chosen the antlers
which then fall off and drift down
to the bottom of the ocean
it’s very rare for humans to see
a young whale with antlers
but when they do they’re always
surprised to note
the antlers are the colour
of a burnt orange
KB Nelson is a Canadian writer who thrives in the intersection of art and science. Her poems have appeared in a variety of journals and anthologies including Tiny Spoon, Nourish-Poetry, Sea-To-Sky Review, and Polar Borealis. She currently lives and combs the beach on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast.
Ruby Van Bendegem is retired after over three decades as a journalist and a lawyer and is the recovering mother of four. She lives and paints in northwestern Ontario, Canada. On summer days, you will find Ruby and her husband paddling a canoe or kayak on the waters of Lake Superior.