Javelina Hoedown

he starts a fire outside
with a medium-sized cardboard box (amazon?)    
remember fire  
you hardly ever get to see it  
except that time you left a roll of paper towels close to a burner and...  
wow, fire travels fast  
but so do you  
  
there are satellites in the sky  
look, that one is moving  
it's a meteor  
and another  
and another  
black watercolor sky  
all the stars are out  
remember stars  
they are always there  
electric light is a fierce bully  
blocking you from what you need
   
you live in the city  
on your computer  
on your phone  
in an apartment  
alone  
electric lights inside and outside  
   
the man you're with  
has been stuck in your craw for years (whatever a craw is- is that something found in nature?)  
weird random encounters  
but now you're settling in   
friends  
friends are good  
but   
yeah, okay  
friends are good  
   
this friend is comfortable in the desert  
thinks rattlesnakes are interesting   
knows how to act around them  
you see poisonous snakes  
as nature's mafia dons  
or in yiddish parlance-  
schmucks  
you see a lot of wildlife that way  
life is dangerous  
wild animals magnificent  
but yet another way to die   
death by fangs claws and brute force
are you truly quick on your feet?  
you are largely untested  
wrangling middle school students is your specialty  
that's enough of a talent  
   
fire undulates   
in a way similar to water  
first this way   
then that  
but why  
what made the wind blow that way  
maybe the flames have free will  
they dance unihibited  
wild sensual energy  
shaking their ignited hips  
answering to no one  
you're mesmerized
inspired  
   
he's sitting somewhat close to you  
this friend person  
in the midst of nature  
his element  
he interacts with it  
peacefully and respectfully  
you're just a visitor  
but you love the beauty  
you're awakened here  
doing more living  
in each hour  
than you usually do in a day  
   
a rustling sound in the garden  
comical snorts  
the sound of running  
an animal you've recently heard of  
javelinas  
   
a  
   
whole  
   
lot  
   
of   
   
them  
   
and they have tusks  
   
oh, there's the male  
says friend  
look at his stripe  
isn't he handsome  
no, that would be you  
you think to yourself  
you dare not say it  
he already knows  
conceit is beneath him  
he's well beyond that  
he's not conceited he's convinced  
   
oh look   
it's a whole family of javelinas  
seven?  
no about ten of them  
   
and, yes  
how lovely  
they all have tusks  
   
the baby is cute  
the bigger ones  
look like wild boar  
though they are not related  
   
javelinas are from some new world order  
not sure what their purpose is  
what the purpose of anything really  
who knows  
shut up  
just enjoy it  
   
javelinas are afraid of people  
right?  
oh no, says friend    
not at all  
   
info you could have lived without  
but  
may as well get a good look  
   
you shine your phone's camera on them  
but the javelinas don't like that  
maybe one will kick it cleanly out of your hands  
like an angry celebrity  
sick of paparazzi  
   
or maybe these largish creatures  
will hurt you some other way  
what  
guess your age higher than it is?  
i mean, really, what would they want with you  
seven of them attacked a woman in suburban tucson the week before  
happily, you don't find that out until tomorrow  
   
you hope friend doesn't leave you alone here  
you're fine  
really  
but you're pretty sure you just felt javelina breath on your neck  
how would you fare  
your wits against nature  
you hear your friends and family laughing  
you tell them to shut up  
   
you're older now  
stronger  
braver  
   
being surrounded by wild animals  
just trying to have some dinner  
isn't a problem  
at all  
it's an opportunity  
you're glad you're here  
under the dome of stars  
satellites   
meteors  
undulating fire  
a coyote howling!  
snorting animals with tusks  
each minute filled with so much life  
that even though a side of you  
wants to be safe indoors  
you yearn for the fire to keep burning  
for a long time  
into the wild night