I am no father, but won’t deny paternity
I play the part, have knelt for her
in the dark in the rain in the parking lot
of an abandoned restaurant.
This cuckoo’s hatchling in my human nest
diverts my instincts to her needs,
cannot fulfill the full imperative of life.
No mere parasite, she shares the prey
she captures with her infant paws:
the disarmed smiles of passers-by
which I imagine are for me.
Secretly Ironic 