SMALL CREATURES

TIMOTHY OTTE

—for Molly
 
Her heart is biggest

for small creatures.

 
She feels their bodies

thrumming quietly

 
and goes to them,

collecting their joys

 
and sorrows as her own.

When they die

 
she feels such pain

I don’t know how she

 
stands it.

Once, raging, she said,

 
If we are what we eat

it’s no wonder we’re afraid.

 
Look at the eyes of pigs

on their way to slaughter.

∘∘∘