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.