Animal inside me. No phylum for you,

no class. You are rough fur, satin scales,

plastic, lakewater, steel. Wings and candy wrappers.

Seaweed and hooves. You lunge. Whimper.

Lunge. Poison teeth. Gentle tongue.

Slither into the darkness and find

what you will. Dwell in the damp cave.

Curl up hearthside. Carry the spider. Devour

the bacon. Berries, berries, berries.

Howl. Caw. Crawl. The sun is hot and you leap

into waves. The sun is hot and you pant.

You are lazy for days. You won’t stop running.

Reason can’t rope your long neck. Dear beast.

Dearest beast. You let me get close.

You let me almost touch you.