Soft, yet not like silk — 
this is soft 
like a bison’s lips 
nibbling on prairie grass; 
like a prairie 
dog’s warm nose, nuzzling 
another in a snug burrow; 
like a burrowing 
rabbit’s legs kicking, flopping 
ears across eyes, tooth, and claw; 
like claws 
of a cat withholding force 
just so in play with almost-prey. 

This poem and others can now be found in the 2023 Valentine’s Day anthology Smitten, published by QuillKeepers Press! Buy it here