When holding a small snake,
Experts say,
You should let it lace through your fingers
To prevent injury
Maybe then that’s why
Your fingers were intertwined with mine like a constrictor
To prevent one of us from being hurt
Though I have never been sure who
Experts also say
Prolonged eye contact is a sign of aggression
To most animals
And despite this fact
You still held my eyes trapped with yours
Like the ocean blue breaking down the deep, dark earth
It was inescapable
And it was the most beautiful kind of fighting
Did you know that penguins mate for life?
But neither of us have flippers,
I suppose,
And maybe that is why
You didn’t feel obligated to stay