I can be one

with any doorframe,

any porch. I thrive

on the thrill

of the dive, the run

to avoid the dense

tents of legs and skirts,

the whirling children,

heavy shoes.

 

No peace, it seems ?

fortunately, I can blend

my skin to match gravel,

grass, trees, stone.

And with my heart so

close to the earth, I feel

the vibrations of your feet

before you notice me.

 

This landscape is a house

with rooms under every leaf,

every blade of grass,

in every crevice.

When you invade my estate

I rejoice in its expanse.

 

© by Allyson Whipple.

Used with the author’s permission.