character flaws

a butterfly landed on my ankle
while I sat on the front steps
smoking

I thought it was a mosquito and almost killed it
but stopped in time

a fox trotted across our front lawn
in the middle of an early summer night
while I sat on the front steps
smoking

it paused and looked at me
and started to come toward me

but then I panicked
not realizing until that moment
that it was not just a background noise
or someone's pet

and unable to stop myself before
the next impulse of wanting it to come near
I jumped up
screaming
and it ran away
forever
and my cigarette
dropped in a puddle
and sputtered out

by Sara, copyright 2001, all rights reserved