Reprinted Poem — Advice From a Bat

From the “I Wish I’d Written That Department” — Here’s a clever poem by Michael T. Young that I’ve recently run across and I can’t help sharing.

Advice from a Bat
by Michael T. Young

Hunt only at night. Fly erratically.
Defy even your own expectations.
Feed on beetles, moths, and mosquitoes,
whatever is small and annoying.
Cultivate the myths about you
until every predator fears your legend.
When hunting, be guided by a language
only you can hear. The same is true
when courting the one you love.
Clean fangs and fur nightly. Crawl
or climb to confuse the observant.
Retreat to a cave no one believes in.
Let the day and the world pass
while you sleep, and sleep upside down,
ready to wake and fall into flight.


“Advice from a Bat” by Michael T. Young from The Infinite Doctrine of Water. © Terrapin Books, 2018. Reprinted without permission. (Purchasing information)

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