No, that isn't a piece of frilly green
lettuce in the aquarium but a slug
which stores chloroplasts from the algae
it feeds on. Its cells continue to photo-
synthesize light energy, so it's no longer
just the dull color of putty but suddenly
the most fabulous creature in the room.
I was never that kind of head-turner,
only the girl sitting in the back
of the room, the one with the sensible
shoes and the sensible clothes made by
her mother, never bought off the rack
from some department store. One year
in high school, the trend was apple
clogs and Faded Glory jeans— the ones
with the tiny buckle below the rear
waistband. I tried to take notes on color
combinations, accessories, the difference
between trying too hard and effortless. I guess
some of us are just late bloomers. There are
reports of rainbow slugs showing up in rock pools
across Britain, little clumps of gummy confetti
bright against rock: audacious carnival of wild
color, though their presence means waters
are warming up even more from climate change.
Purveyors of fine poetry since 2003.
