Macho

You strut and spray and block the path I am on. I ask nicely if you will let me through, even offer to do so quickly and without pain. But you stand your ground, stubbornly and forcefully. I come in peace, as always, but that doesn’t matter here. Our wants and needs and existences conflict. You say it is for my own good, that you offer protection and a wisdom I cannot know. I look for protection from your protection.

Our standoff lasts too long, as I consider my alternatives. I return to where I came from, and realize my only way forward is through you. We hold our breath and move cautiously closer. You seem uneasy when I am near, and bothered once I am passed. I look back to see you standing your ground once more, unaffected by our interaction. The moment is over as quickly as it began.

Also, there are turkeys.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum

Madison, Wisconsin

May 2019