Steven Pfau

Sappho at Gem State Crystals, Moscow, Idaho

He seems to me equal to the gods, that rattlesnake
who charms you without even lifting his tail
or head. While he holds your gaze and keeps
playing dead, I cruise

the shelves of quartz and jade and tourmaline,
but none of these stupid rocks can beguile you
to look back at me. How embarrassing
to want so much—

aren’t I too old to rattle my heart like this?
Yet that snake’s even older, the clerk says
as I study her pet’s inveterate composure.
Someday I’ll learn

to stay so cool in the warmth of your regard,
if only I could flag you down without a sign
like the one on this cage: YES I AM REAL
YES I AM ALIVE.

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Steven Pfau is a Master of Fine Arts candidate in creative writing at the University of Idaho and the managing editor of Fugue journal. He is working on a collection of essays on uncles, nephews, and queer tutelage.