Sleight of Fin, Claw, Paw, Antenna, Wing

These aren’t hawk eyes, but spots on a moth’s wing.

One actor insect disguises itself as a wasp with an ersatz sting.

This serpent’s no coral snake, despite its coloring.

Before I enter the bar, I pocket my ring.

Some deep-sea fish dangle glowing stalks as bait.

A squid squirts ink to cover its escape.

The cuckoo’s eggs are hatched by feathered strangers without complaint.

Foundation hides the blemish on my face.

A puffer fish inflates itself to disguise

the slightness of its girth. Cats’ fur stands on end. Likewise,

a collared lizard’s frill will serve to amplify its size.

A girdle does its best to diminish mine.

A buck shows off its rack while it crosses the glade.

Roosters shriek and swell in a barnyard parade.

Peacocks strut with fans proudly displayed.

An honest man has never gotten laid.

A pitcher plant’s a sweet death trap for flies.

A possum will convince you that it’s died.

A croc looks like a log when it shuts its eyes.

A man may stand for truth, but nature lies.