Rattlesnakes

You scan the room

because Becca is

late, as usual.

You catch an eye -

it happens, come on -

by accident, sure.

He looks nice enough,

smart, like someone

with a job that needs that.

You don’t look away and back,

you don’t look at that part

of the room again.

You’re smart too:

you don’t go close enough

to hear the rattle.