Scattered Roses by the Sea

when the coffee kicked in and you cut carrots into coins

for our salad, the satisfying, slow knocking of the dull knife against the cutting board while I pretended to read while I worshipped you from the sofa

— musings about the moon (dedicated to our moon)

Anna Sexton, Linda Pastan, Pablo Neruda, Nina Mouawad, Franz Kafka, Anaïs Nin, Warsan Shire, Enomoto Seifu-jo, Sara Eliza Johnson, Margaret Atwood

The function of a growl is as a warning. It is a communication that violence is available as a tool, but is not preferred. Other outcomes, besides your death, are available and should be considered.

But the creature that wants to kill you will not growl.

If your death is the goal, then growling will only serve as a delay and may result in your escape, which runs counter to the goal. There will be no growl, no warning. There will be no snarl or hiss or bluster. The creature that bares its teeth with the intent to kill only does so to bring closer its fangs to your demise.

The creature that growls does not want to kill you, but will if it must.