i peer through the plexiglass
they’re laughing
communicating, agreeing,
no questions
they don’t let me in
i’m stuck here—-no companions
my existence is rose thorns, weeds
cobwebs and stingers
theirs is pristine, smooth
no predators or allergens
i shiver and sweat
but they have AC and central heating
then their gaze morphs into a glare
i can’t come inside
but a sharp wind shifts my perspective
I see their colorless sterile steel walls
and I turn, choosing the roses instead
