Keeping its perilous footing
over the gravel and rubble
in the halted gentrification project
she of the devilish cloven foot
engorged udders, wispy beard
and spindly horns looks you in the eye
from behind the chain link fence
suspicious of the vegetable
tourist gifts you bear
She can smell it that you
have feasted on her tender kin
That you intend to extract a metaphor
from her bleating
That you fish in the murky waters
of sacred books and psychology treatises
She senses your gaze of separation:
That you have boxed her into nature
and kept yourself out of it
as you benevolently prod the mint
stalk through the gap
gaining nary a distracted glance
She is all set to ignore
your pestiferous self
-human musing at goats by the beach-
won’t play the pliant or plaintive
scapegoat for you
just stares back from her billy
constancy with the annoyance
reserved for a fly or a tick
Alyki, 7 June 2023