Unfortunately, This Is What the Soft Animal of Your Body Loves

Unfortunately, These Are the Things the Soft Animal of Your Body Loves

Editor’s Note: This work is an irreverent riff on Mary Oliver’s iconic poem “Wild Geese.”

Putting bugles on the ends of your fingers to make cunning little claws because you do not have to be good.

Being crushed under eleven weighted blankets like a cozycore Giles Corey. Meanwhile the world goes on.

Eating a deconstructed PB&J by putting a family of things (a peanut, a grape, a crouton) into your mouth all at once.

Honking and strutting around like a regal, wild goose, over and over announcing your place, while you wait for your Dunkin’ Donuts order to be ready.

Offering yourself to the world’s imagination by growing out very long bangs down to your chin and yelling “LET THE SHOW BEGIN” whenever you part them to reveal your face.

Accidentally “composting” in the crisper drawer until you create a terrarium, a landscape of deep trees and sprouting radishes.

Collecting a nest of small trinkets and clear pebbles of the rain because you have been oh so very good.

Walking on your knees, then crawling upon your belly and tonguing crumbs out of the carpet.

Curling up inside the harsh, exciting armpit of your mate and taking a small nap.