A Valentine’s Day Poem

The brochure for the wildlife sanctuary cried out to us: “Be Stalked By a Mountain Lion!”  So we went, foregoing opportunities to be served by a sommelier, pounded by a masseuse, guided by a docent or entertained by a performer.  

When we arrived at the sanctuary, and I announced to the ticket taker that we would like to be stalked by a mountain lion, he looked confused.  Craning his neck to shout a question to someone who made something above minimum wage, he said, “Do we have a mountain lion?”  

“That’s the cougar,” came the disinterested response.  

“Oh,” said the ticket taker.  “He hides a lot.”

My heart sank, but we trudged on.  We weren’t stalked, and while I contemplated a breach of warranty claim, my wife wrote a poem.  Indiana Poet Laureate, Karen Kovacik is featuring that poem today on her blog, No more corn, as a Valentine’s Day poem.  We reproduce it here:

On Not Being Stalked by a Mountain LionBE STALKED BY A MOUNTAIN LION! said the brochure.But we weren’t stalked,Although for a lazy hour along the pathWe strolled and talked--Totally helpless, as you pointed out,Pitifully clueless, meant for lion-prey(Apart from the fence and the ditch too broad to leapEven for mountain lions). You scanned the swayAnd shadow play of branches for a glimpseOf that quicksilver shape--O the rising unease, the chills, the chase, the last-Minute, hairsbreadth escape!“He’s probably sleeping,” the gate attendant shruggedWhen you complainedNo icy green-gold gaze had pricked our necks.Later it rained,And we drove back and chased each other into bedAnd slept an hour or two.There was nothing boring about not being stalked By a mountain lion with you.This poem originally appeared in Able Muse Review.

BEST

VALENTINE’S

DAY

PRESENT

EVER!!

[JT]