by Susan McLean

Of things that scare us when immersed,
they’re not the ones we think of first:
a park in Maryland is cursed
with rabid beavers.

In truth, it ought to give us pause
when rodents red in tooth and claws,
attacking, silence the guffaws
of disbelievers.

So small, so bucktoothed, and so cute,
they don’t appear the kind of brute
we ought to fear, with no repute
for vicious slaughter.

But if you swim or fish, beware!
They’re mad, they’re fast, they’re on a tear,
and they don’t give a dam. Take care:
avoid the water.