In the history of the future
I’ll only have a cameo appearance,

I’m the Panda bear
that doesn’t chew bamboo,

no lines, just a mess
of fur and straw,

the kind of bit part
they give to poets,

a relief, really, more time
to keep my tiny eyes

wide open.

*

Juan Pablo Mobili was born in Buenos Aires, and adopted by New York. His poems appeared or will be appearing in The American Journal of Poetry, Hanging Loose Press, South Florida Poetry Journal, Louisville Review, The Wild Word (Germany), and Otoliths (Australia), among others. His work received several nominations for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net. His chapbook,  “Contraband,” was published in 2022, and he’s the Guest Editor for The Banyan Review’s Spring 2023 issue.