I sat on the bench near the mystical pond
a lanternfly sat across from me
I wanted to pet it
and bent across
and looked directly at it
“Too invasive,” I thought
and I sufficed myself by gazing at the pond
The next minute,
that critter was crawling up to me
I was hoping he would perch on my lap
but he decided to crawl up my back
Jesus, well,
I sufficed myself by gazing at the pond
And, the next minute,
he’s sitting right back to where
he had been sitting before
I mean, I guess he had satisfied himself
Well, then, some other day
I was walking around the mystical pond
a water snake made a startled lunge
towards the water
I stopped right there; he stopped too
He rested his head on the rock
at the edge of the pond
and let the sun bathe him
and he just cocked his head
and gave me a long once over
and I sufficed myself by gazing at the pond
Well, he just looked at me
for a good chunk of time
and every now and then
I glanced over —
He was just there, not moving,
looking at me same as ever
At one point, he did yawn
sort of a grandma-what-big-teeth-you-have moment
and I surmised his jaws would
fit around my big toe
But, after that, he was back to the looking-at-me
and I sufficed myself by gazing at the pond
Then, one time, I looked over
and he was stretching out straight towards me
But, it was only to rest his head on another rock,
just one over,
then back to the staring
and I sufficied myself by gazing at the pond
Well, then, he went as to come towards me again
But, it was only to go up to the hill
into the trees
I mean, I guess he satisfied himself