7 Animal Lessons

1. Mystery

Riding mama’s shoulders on the path

To misty bog, mystery guest

Croaking, croaking in wisps of mist

So tightly contained and then released

No soil for shame, for mother

Mother’s every mess and then this glee

Surrounds every other misty foggy

Boggy thing and then time names it

Frog as friend, frog as totem, frog as

Savior all the long nights

2. Proof

Surgical decomposition

It brings the body back

To slither hard on rocks sucked dry

Of peachy pleasure ah the good days

When salty water bit the nose

Emerald buoyancy everywhere

When lazing on a hot rock, you could

Invent all your best lovers

Long were sunsets and soft was honey butter

Now touch is dry cracking

Rashes poison tingling in every joint

A mermaid’s vanity to live on land

And feel for flippers not feet

3. Abstinence

This cage too small, let’s run our hunger

Gnawing on credit card hubcaps, Corinthian leather

Digital electrical Versace Karan

All appetites amok, three times clockwise

Twelve times back

Wheat flakes, melon slice, cabbage leaves, raisins

Sleep in this litter, bunny brains pounding

We’ve bought ourselves Christmas

To fall asleep in the straw

4. Pride

Will not be hurried before

Warming this carapace in sunbeams

Anarchy in slow motion

Mayhem under glass

A languid rebellion, will not budge

To perform tricks for guests

Will not stop composting for the average viewer

Will hide and hide again until the treats come

Chinese noodles, fruit, marshmallows, beer

Then and only then will play swamp music

Will play slow turtle daddy dare

5. Acceptance

Noses aquiver, eyes piercing desire

Breaths drawn and waiting

The fingers’ tentative offering

Two slobbering fools, children

Of dog-imony, bundles tenderly weighed

Against the newcomer, her savory

Morsel called gift seductively dangled

So let’s have at this new love

With all its smells and perils and new

Flesh and then we are all one pack

6. Devotion

Several hundred pounds of

New fuzzy love and off we go

In a van steeped in familiar incense

Bacon violet grease

Cheddar daffodil zinc

We muster leashes

We strain and start

We wait for master’s signal

Girded hard as gladiators

Legs tight, poised in asana

Of new devotion without skill

Pawing away old cat logic

With the barking of new boys

The sins of torn towels, of green loam

Of messes large and small these are

New teachers new life new man

Dog fear recognizing itself for love

Having lost sight of its object

7. Bliss

So blissful this panting, darting

Dashing, rush of other beasts

In new woods, freedom to burrow and bury

So astride this alighting

On narrow rail, scratching clean claws

Licking foreign blood

Then exit to the prison den

To enter on the soaring roof

In a veil of spider webs and

Fairy dust of dirt

Ready to meet the lady in white

To drink her oak brandy

And dance in her birdy bushes.