Wolf in the City
There's a wolf loose in the city
He's running through my head
There's a wolf wild within me
And I cannot get to bed.
Tail swish
dream twitch
muffled bark
bolt awake!
Wolf opens his eyes
amber flashing
yawns as if to swallow the sun
big tongue coiling
arcs his hackled back
claws tenterhook
withdraw
Wolf shakes his shaggy mane
of moonlight and brimstone
sniffs the air with salt and pepper snout
and following his nose
he begins to prowl
A wolf is loose in the city tonight
all the traffic lights have stuck on amber
cars screech and swerve
to avoid the jaywalker
a red eyed black beast
snapshot in headlights
a blur of fur against
the glass and steel
pad of leathery paws
on pavement running
through puddles of ink
writing his own lunatic tale
claws scratch on blank stone
searching for a meaning
There's a wolf loose in the city
wanting he knows
not until he finds it
just hunting, hunting...
with blind instinct
for a scratch for his itch
some heat for his bitch
wolf wants a moon to howl at
some this for his that
chasing tail
the right scent
loitering with intent
There's a wolf loose in the city
slipping into the skin of shadows
dark flash of silhouette
slashing alleyway, subway, dead end street
stink marking
his neck of the woods
leaving his signature of animal graffiti
on corners and crossroads
waste ground and no-go zones
There's a wolf loose in the city
He's running through my head
There's a wolf wild within me
And I cannot get to bed.
by Kevan Delapre ©2002