IF YOU....

If you were a rabbit,

I would hide carrots in the hedges.

If you were a stray cat,

I would leave tuna on the porch.

If you were a tiny turtle crossing a busy road,

I would gently cup you in my hands

and set you on the other side

to continue your adventure unshattered

in the safety of your home.

If you were a crow

I would invite you to squawk on my patio

and admire the way your black feathers

swallow the sun.

If you were a dandelion,

nodding your yellow head on my perfect lawn

I’d let you grow

And if you were a small brown mouse

trapped in a cabinet in my squeaky clean house

I’d let you go.

And if you were a bitter old woman

watching the news,

screaming about hungry brown people

from the safety of your living room,

I would whisper kind words

and try my best to calm and soothe.

Because I love you,

I love you in all your forms,

in your trillions of manifestations,

in your tragedies and truth,

in your lolling tongue

 and wagging tail

and laughing eyes,

in your tumbling purr

and angry growl

and frightened cries.

Finally,

I’ve come to know you as you are,

and now I smile when you disappear

for while I’m looking there for you

I know that you are here.