Last night, an Old Man forced me
to smile.
Me, no more
than a furious, sticky
envelope,
a Venus fly trap.
Think of the closing view –
the dark, and the blackout, and the feel
of the tongue over teeth.
To Humans, some scissor-jaws
are ivory.
Me,
You,
the green carnivore,
the buzzing species –
All are hide and hide and…
Somewhere, a thick elephant herd,
an extended Family,
carries on.
When afraid, they dance together, turning up
dust. See the wrinkles
vice-grip those eyes.
Black. Creases. The Kind, huge
Hearts.
A wise Mother lifts her trunk, telling
Baby, Careful where you step. This season,
the Flies come out,
and the Green Ones
need them
to survive.
Seek.
-- C.A. MacConnell
