Like a cat who circles
before bedding down

or the stag-horn beetles
in territorial mating fights

the dog who bats around a bird
once flying freely.

I corral a thought here
catch a phrase there

dig deeper for nuances that
feed my spirit in the search

reveals an answer
to your query.

My breath comes
in our exchange

you inquire
I respond

ask again
help me breathe.

Perbohner, Ann. “Librarian Instincts.” The Lyrical Librarian:verses from the stacks. Minneapolis: CBSD, 2010. 15. Print.