Interspecies

- for Nadia

Of the precious few things

we must believe

transcend the borders

between apes and wolves

this is perhaps the most important

That as our bodies begin to leave us

we can feel the shadows

at the edges of our pack

shift and gather closer

That we sense these shapes

are an extension of the soft safety

of our den

That at our last labored breath

the innermost ring of our fellow animals

will plant their legs firmly in the ground

around our body

that they will tilt their heads

back towards the moon

and begin the chorus of howling tribute

That each successive ring of creatures

will add their echoes to the song

That this song will ring in our ears forever.