By Jimmy Pappas
We are bats at the mercy of young boys
throwing baseballs high into the night
sky under a streetlight causing us to chase
after the movement only to swerve away
at the last second still searching for moths.
&
We are magicians’ helpers
privy to the secrets
but never finding
the adulation we crave.
&
We are mallards scattering feathers
as we rush to meet the bullet
a hunter fired ahead of us.
&
We are marines on patrol
in a province controlled
by enemy forces as we march
with tourniquets wrapped around
our thighs for the bleeding
that is sure to come.
&
We are birds flying into picture windows
always expecting the shiny reflection
in the glass to be brighter and better
than the exact replica right behind us.
&
We are Himalayan jumping spiders
living as high as 22,000 feet above
sea level on Mount Everest where
we feed on insects blown up from
the lower depths of our mountain.
&
We need to remove the mud
covering our bodies
and anoint ourselves
with precious oils
so we can slide down
the banisters of this world.