Sometimes I feel like...
Sometimes I feel like a dog... My ears perk up when I see you, my tail wags back and forth as I run towards you. I lick your hands and knees because I'm so happy to see you. I can barely contain my happiness, so I whine, bark, and howl while i spin in circles and show you my belly. But my barks are loud, and suddenly I'm being yelled at. My once perky ears now flatten, and my tail curls between my legs. "Bad dog" they say. But how was I being a bad dog? I was just happy to see you.
Sometimes I feel like a cat... I want to curl up next to you on the couch, and take a little nap. When you reach out to pet me, I get startled and run under the bed where you can reach me. Sometimes I feel sick, but I don't tell you because solitude is better than facing the unknown. And sometimes, when its late at night, and your sleeping, I come to sit on the dresser next to you, and tilt my head, wondering how, and why, you'd put up with someone like me. Someone who doesn't even let you pet me, and makes a mess because I felt scared that day.
Sometimes I feel like a mouse... A mouse so small you mistake me for a dust bunny. I scurry around the house, trying to find a comfortable spot to call my home. I make a soft nest out of old fur, ripped fabric, and string. Its my happy place. I even collect some thimbles and crumbs to use as a place to hold my snacks. I'm so happy here. But then, someone finds my little nest. They spray me with something that burns my eyes. I flee from my little home, only turning back when I'm under the couch. They take all my things out, and ruin my little safe spot. I'm so small and helpless that I can't fight back. Why did they ruin something that made me happy?
Sometimes I feel like a racoon... I'm drawn to the night like a moth would be to a flame. I rummage through nook and crannies, finding foods that can sustain me for the night. I find cute little trinkets, like crumpled cans, broken pens, and a beaded bracelet. Wow, humans are so complex, I think as I crawl out of the dumpster, and carry a particularly big piece of pizza back to my hidey hole. But what is this? I smell something delicious. Its nutty and creamy. Peanut butter! My favorite. I drop my pizza, and go to sniff out where this goody treat could be. I find a nook behind a trash can, covered by an old fabric of sorts. There's a generous glob of peanut butter at the end. I crawl in, and eagerly lick up the nutty treat. But a loud metallic clank startles me! I turn back to run, but I'm trapped. The fabric falls off, and there stand two humans. They call me horrible words, like pest, and invasive. That they should eradicate me for feeding myself with their trash. Why should I be eradicated for trying to survive?
Sometimes I feel Like a moth... Drawn to those who shine brightly around me. I'm cold, and want to feel the warm comfort of light and safety. I flutter around, until I find a light. It's in the middle of the darkness! How lucky I am today! My wings carry me to the light, and i land on top of it. But its cold on top of it. I think nothing of it, and instead, fly to the small ledge by the light. Its so warm, different from the cold, unforgiving night. I fold my wings, and nuzzle into the ledge below me, feeling the warmth I so openly crave. But I'm not the only one. Other moths come to the same light, all trying to get a taste for the warmth. But... I was the first one to find it. Shouldn't I get the most light? Finders keepers! In my jealousy, I find a little hole at the bottom of the ledge that leads straight to the light. I crawl in, determined to claim the light that I found. Its warmer in here, so warm that I feel far from cold. But my wings start to singe, and then they burn. I panic, and start to flutter around, trying to escape the light, but I cant find the hole squeezed in from. My wings are gone, my body starts to burn next. It hurts. All the other moths continue to warm themselves, uncaring that I'm trapped and dying. Maybe... Maybe I got too close to the light?
Sometimes I feel like animals...
