A gnarled-faced squirrel
is trying to cross my exit ramp -
I think he got hit by a car
when he was little.
Highways are likely to kill some animals.
That’s normal,
right?
They’re calculated losses,
like the 1% of people
who are allergic
to a medication.
I had a bad reaction once:
my whole body dappled purple.
Most of it cleared,
except
the face rash.
It took three dermatologists
before one figured out
I was allergic to a steroid
that my allergist had given me
in an attempt to build up my resilience
to cats, mice, mites, cockroaches and wool.
Trust me, it’s hard
to get a date
with a face rash.
So
I feel for this squirrel
trying to cross a highway
with one good eye
towing a tail
twice his size.
I wish this squirrel
would ask me on a date
I'd see past his messed up face
cause he matters
it matters
this is not a numbers game
you can't just weigh gains against losses
when the losses are faces and lives and love.
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