Mark Scrivener Poetry Blog- poems and backgrounds Lizards

LIZARDS

The grass skink or common garden skink is a tiny lizard (8-9 cms long) often found in gardens in Australia. They feed largely on insects and like to soak up the sun. Once giant lizards ruled the earth, yet these relatives of theirs hide from birds. The poem speaks to relativities, not only of size but also perception.

LIZARDS

Small grass skinks creep,

from lands of gradually-dissolving leaves,

and rest in quiet,

scales iridescent in the light,

so silently soaking in heat;

sides swelling and shrinking as they breathe,

as if entranced or half asleep,

yet they're alert to shadow fall.

Are they

the microcosmic cousins of

earth-shaking thunderers, long gone all?

As if wrong-telescoped by time, some say.

But what of sizes anyway?

Within their garden world they're great

swift cockroach fighters of the reptile state.

And what awareness have they of our size?

We are not scaled to minute eyes.

I wonder if it is the same for us,

worlds within the one.

When shadows fall how shall we guess

what friendly watchers stand between us and the sun?