Why did I put that blue, vibrant crawdad
into
my little world?
I had the power
to keep the violent, stimulating monster
out of my fish tank.
But I put him in there
just for amusement.
That's what the plastic Buddha
brought to my attention
Today.
I watched the figure's eyes open
and realized
how the crawdad's claws
crawled across his face
each night,
and I saw
what everything Is.
I felt a fish flutter by,
and smiled,
looking the creature in the eye,
seeing it was I, I, I –
all of it I!
Would I have seen that
without the terror
in the tank?