A Poem: Five Ways to Love Thee

1.

Tucked in the wainscoting,

hidden from view, I clap my hind legs

and chirrup your name.

2.

Disguised as a breeze,

I ride the sunlight to your bedroom

and dance on your breast.

3.

Later, when your eyelids

tremble, I slip my wire skins

and plug into your dreams.

4.

Silently I join

the grackles on the telephone line

and watch you undress.

5.

Hey! Down here! Hopping

to the furry whorl, it’s me!

The little black flea!

This article appears in January 2011.