I take two strangers
One a frog
and one a scorpion
the frog is slimy and green
He’s about the size of your fist
Small enough to lay in the palm of your hand but big enough to fill your heart
he’s young, a new born
he spends his days eating insects
and doing favors
he makes people smile
and his eyes are too big for his body
he’s really cute so people
say aww when they pick him up
On the other hand, the scorpion is rough and red
He’s about the size of your fist
Small enough to lay in the palm of your hand but big enough to fill your heart
he’s old, but not too old
he looks like a lobster
with a stinger for a tail
he spends his days
being an opportunistic predator
he can go weeks without food
his eight legs and long tail scare
most people
but for the most part he doesn’t use his stinger
unless he’s cornered
so the ones who pick him up
know what they are getting themselves into
Now,
I take two strangers
Pick the scorpion up with my left
And the frog up with my right
have them meet for the first time
And watch them realize they have one thing in common
Their size
And now,
twenty years since meeting
they spend their days talking
Filling my heart from the palm of my hands