Day 9: TIME OF DAY

11:13 AM -- GREEN ANOLE 1

10:56 am

The flash dancer appears on the balcony.
I see him as my husband points, fervently, without a word.
Emerald lizard, long tailed, he creeps across the railing, in the sun,
and, FLASH, a vermillion fan, lit from behind,
glows beneath his neck and is gone.
Wow!

10:57 am

I grab my camera, but he has darted
around the corner of the rail, no longer so flashy. Wrong angle
to the sun entirely.

11:03 am

I am stalking. He dashes
down the stair rail. Now, eight steps
below me, my friend the mini-iguana, baths in the sun,
and I can spy his delicate toes, curling with flair around him, his tail
long and lovely, goes on and on as he poses, poised. Ah!
A turn, (click) a bob
of the head, (click) a pause, (click)
a flash! (click) I got it! Rose red! From a distance. But I
am not satisfied.
Hmmmm…

11:05 am

He allows me to descend,
inch by inch, (click by click), zoom-
ing, adjust-
ing, before he turns, he scampers
back
up the stair rail
in fits and starts
to his former balcony
perch.

11:07 am

I creep more slowly. Silent
feet. Steady now.
Step by step
while he
darts,
stops,
turns his head,
but keeps
his secret
sex appeal,
vermillion
dewlap,
well concealed.

Rats!

11:13 am

Ah!
But wait!
He has taken up
the eastern post of the rail. He stops.
He stands. He raises his head. (click)
Extending over the edge. (click)
Bobs his head up, once, twice. (click)
And there it is!
Vermillion on light beam.
A fan. Bespeckled
in white. Testicle
like. Glowing. Male
prowess. King
of the balconyl!
(click, click, click)

I exhale.

11:15 am

My camera hangs.
He turns the corner.
I see his claws cling
along the side of the rail. He is
disappearing.
His emerald’s glow,
each scale, playing
with the light. His eye
is black. It turns
to me. He is gone.

Morning prayers
are done.

11:17 am


GREEN ANOLE 2 – FOUND POEM

The typical breeding season for green anoles starts
from as early as April and ends
as late as August and lasts even
occasionally into September. It is during
this time that the most brilliant displays
of these creatures can be seen, as the males
must court the females with their elaborate displays
of extending their brightly colored dewlaps
while bobbing up and down, almost
doing a dance for her while she runs
in temptation from the male. The pursuit
will continue until the two successfully mate. Usually, when
the female is ready to mate, she may let the male simply "catch" her and he
will thus grasp a hold of a fold
of her skin above her neck area, or she
will bow her head before him and simply "let" him take his grasp.
At this point, the male will position his tail underneath the female's near her vent and the mating ritual
will take place.

(Wikipedia)