My courage is a mountain, strong and high,
I face the world, I look it in the eye.
I handle traffic, deadlines, stress, and strife,
I am the fearless master of my life.
But then at night, a shadow, still and small,
Appears upon my clean and painted wall.
Its eyes are dots, its skin a sickly green,
The most terrifying monster ever seen.
It doesn't move, it only waits and stares,
And cancels all my brave and manly airs.
I call my mother, brother, anyone,
"Please come and make this evil creature run!"
The tiny lizard, frozen in its place,
Has put a grown-up man in deep disgrace.
The bravest lion fears this tiny thing,
The silent, sticky, little wall-king.
Poet's Note
I find the contradictions in human nature endlessly funny. We can be so brave and competent in the "big" areas of our lives, yet be completely undone by something small and irrational. This poem is a lighthearted look at that contrast, celebrating the universal and slightly embarrassing fear of a harmless little lizard.