Tribe

they’re not from this country
or maybe i’m not
what i am    i think    is listening
trying not to escape into the native awareness
of a fieldmouse    a lynx called bobcat
a guard dog who is relative to those
who transcended the gap between north asia and alaska
once the ice allowed travel again
with human friends    whose tribe name has long ago evolved
and here i am    in california    listening to talk in a language not english
lynx    field mouse    guard dog    soccer scores
tribe calling itself human in different syllables all over the world
so    tribe    what mouse or lynx    would care more who won the game last night
than why that dog across the street    is barking?

Written October 21, 2025