I like the animals we make of each other

We only snarl
and nip at
each other
sometimes

Mostly
We stay busy
With important work:
we forage
to feed our young
reinforce our nest
teach our babies to
hunt and fly
before they
take on the
world

It makes us slow
and tired, two
old dogs playing
gently with each other
or sighing
from our separate
spots on the
couch

I get restless
I want to be petted
I purr for you
send you heat

You let loose
the lion in you
to roar
on top of me
heavy and muscled
and panting

Sometimes we
coil ourselves
around each
other
for quiet
warmth
like snakes

Of all the animals we
can be
I love how human we are
the mistakes we make
and the new things
we build from the
wreckage
with our cunning,
our brave commitment,
our stubborn
steady
love