I Am

I covered the upper railing of the deck with wild birdseed, hoping it would disappear as quickly as the last batch. As I read by book in the corner, the wind covered the sound of my turning the pages, and a grey squirrel lept from the end of a limb and scuttled to the edge of the pile of seeds.

I marveled at his craftsmanship of eating! His small, muscular arms moved with clockmaker’s precision, and his cheeks rippled like a waterfall. How I wanted him to sit in my lap to give me a better look! How selfish of me, I thought, and was content again to watch from afar.

Perhaps he heard me say involuntarily, “You’re beautiful,” and he dove back into the leafy sky. He left me a present, though (a closer look indeed!) – a neat pile of perfectly dissected sunflower seeds. What dexterity, so superior to my own, I thought. What intricate tools and clocks and technology he could build if trained.

Then I smiled wildly, knowing that he never would.

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