I Love You, Fat Squirrel
Ellis Fertig
It is an unnatural springtime in January.
But I won’t complain about the silky breeze
And sweet sun frolicing through winter air.
And I am basking in the dewey grass,
With a blanket, a book, and you beside me.
I know what your eyes ask of me,
You know I can’t deny it from you.
We stare at each other for a brief moment and
against my better judgement,
I toss a peanut in your direction.
I know this is something wrong,
not what nature had intended of us.
But there are no acorns on the ground here.
And it makes me giggle
to see your tiny hands holding this delicacy so close.
You are far too fat and far too docile for your own good.
You would never make it on your own.
But I sheepishly admit that I, too,
am perhaps a bit chubbier than my
Noble ancestors once were.
Happier too, I suppose.
It’s not your fault
You’ve changed alongside me.
It’s not my fault
I pieced together the world this way.
So therefore I conclude that it’s not our fault
For appreciating the sweet joys
this changed world brings.
Ellis Fertig is a current freshman from northern New Jersey studying computer science. Her hobbies include hiking, reading, and fiber arts. In the future, she hopes to apply her computer science degree to advance environmental restoration efforts.
