Fragile evolution

courtship story

bird will become extinct one day
when it forgets the steps
in its own complex mating dance
we can’t see
how tenuously we strut along the sparse spiderweb
we strung up in our own skulls
to peg out whichever flags will give the best impression
hope secretly
that you saw the crease marks that i pretended to iron out
and only pretended not to notice
don’t you hope
don’t you hope
that i saw you trying?