have you met the elusive creature,
believed the most beautiful of all?
the one who climbs and stalks and roams,
whose mere presence does enthrall?
have you felt its silken fur and feathers,
rough scales and sleek skin,
brush by faster than a blink,
with a lithe leap and soft spin?
have you heard its soothing calls
as you go about your day?
felt something new awaken
at the sound of its raw bay?
have you caught a glimpse of its lean form
through a gap between the trees?
witnessed its rough, untamed power,
and its predatory ease?
perhaps you tried to capture it,
to claim it for your own,
and in return, it clawed your skin,
ripped right down to the bone.
you would not be the first, you see
to seek seizure of its wild soul.
but it will never yield to one
who aims solely to control.
it only ever comes to those
who never turn to force,
who never push or chase or fight
and allow it to take its course.
the creature comes in many forms,
innumerable and distinct.
yet there is a clear similarity,
each shape quite interlinked.
do you realize the complexities
of such an intricate being?
sweet and cruel and pure and sly,
imprisoning and freeing?
