My Brother, The Anole Poem by Louise Marie DelSanto

He clings to the plastic
rocks, head cocked,
'I chose not to bother, '
said my brother the green Anole,
his long tail curving up the side
of the dewy glass of the ten
gallon tank, belly hanging.
The water was spraying over
the layer on layer of fake rocks
The Albino frog in the next tank
commenting, 'Dont hate the
brown Anole', the sister that
loved you once, .' Mealy worms and
small Crickets scurry by
unnoticed. My brother complains
about the life he is leading. One
tank. Dim light. Bad food. And
hating Winter, an old toad
taking up the corner. He
jumps up to position himself
under a plastic plant and sighs,
Look at the life I lead.' I suppose
you are right.' says the yellow Finch
in the next tank. 'You could be
on a Carribean isle dining on Spiders
and Moths, lying on a branch till sundown.'
I think you should talk to your sister,
the brown Anole.' Then you wouldn't
be so ugly and miserable.' Fat Anoles
get eaten by Iguanas, you know, 'says
the Black newt, sliding under a
mirrored corner.
My brother, the green Anole
slithered up to the plastic
plant and fell back to sleep.