Photo submitted by author, Anne Eyries.
by Anne Eyries
When I was young there were lots of lizards
around – don’t take drinks or lifts from strangers,
Mom said. Then geckos took over the town
and now who knows who’s who unless you toss
them on their back to gawk and paw. They hate
that. Instead, place your chosen specimen
on clear glass to peer at its private parts
and protect yourself from a wayward pee.
Females will appear smooth, the young ones too,
but don’t be fooled, your best bet is to watch out
for those tell-tale male bulges and pores.
How to identify an asshole I learned
from lizards long ago; how, like reptiles,
we all reduce to predators or prey.
Anne Eyries has poetry published in various journals, including Amsterdam Quarterly, Cosmic Daffodil, Emerge Literary Journal, Humana Obscura, Ivo Review, and Muleskinner Journal. She lives in France.
