Gator

by C.B. Anderson

A hissing cousin to the crocodile,
the alligator stands a monument
to everything American; and while
its bite may sometimes seem benevolent
compared to our Amendments Two and Nine,
its rugged constitution guarantees
tough times for those who wrestle one.  Malign
it if you must, though better just to please
it with a lavish gift of food -- alive
if possible -- and save the old judgmental
stereotypes for times when you survive
by means that don't depend upon your dental
superiority.  In a fair fight
the gator's still there by dawn's early light.