pouch peek
wooly grey fur ripples
in an unsettling way
skin splits and a nose peeks out
suddenly we learn
where koala kids are stored
in a space not as like a pocket
as a furred womb
mother K lazes unfazed
as joey rumpuses about
she’s shared her body
long as she can remember now
making room for him
not just in her heart
inanimate love
our children sometimes
shove and kick each other
speak harshly and tease
they aren’t always gentle
with a brother’s heart
but you would never guess these things
if you saw the tender way
they work together to buckle in
each inanimate stuffed animal
in the car
both openly concerned about
each little body’s
safety, comfort, and view,
their hearts utterly in tune
when they care for these
beings without blood
