I Like Animals

Wily
snake, no:
just snake
being snake.

Wily
coyote, perhaps,
but still just coyote
being himself.

Wily
young cat
in the window
curling the string
from the blind in his paw
and watching the light change:
maybe he’s just playing, but still
he’s cat being cat.

You, on the other hand,
wily in the kitchen calling
for me to come see what’s
going on:

a little snaky in the hips,
a little tricky in the eyes,
a little playful with the hands,

a little animal beyond naming,
and you know how I like
animals.