Sluggishly, the lizard basks in the early sun,
deftly shifting in and out of the shade
to keep her body temperature
on an even keel, as her blood
slowly quickens.

Masters of self-regulation, we sapiens
still overheat and freeze.
Confident of our thermostats,
we seek and defy the sun,
ignoring the signs
that our bodies are baking,
or retreat from the winter
in the comfort of our
climate-controlled rooms
only to slip into
cold sleep forever
when the power
is turned off.

Minds too can overheat and freeze.
when the temperature of emotion
moves too fast or too slow
and we lose our
equilibrium.

We avoid when we should approach,
attack when we should embrace.

If only we could deftly shift
like the lizard in and out of
the shades of our emotions.