arici

I can’t write a poem about hedgehogs.
It would be too easy.
With a small, soft body covered in spikes
that they can roll up into,
hide under their hides, point the points every way,
at the whole world –
They are too easy to turn into cheap metaphors.
I’ve been trying,
poking at the topic for a long time now.
I’ve tried ignoring
the metaphors. But I just can’t get
past the spikes.