It’s a stand-off.
I try to stare it down
while it stares back, unblinking,
its flat, inscrutable face
giving nothing away.
I must stay focused.
I’ve won these battles
in the past
but this time
it’s got the upper hand.
What I need now
is the doorbell,
an unexpected visitor,
so that I
can break
eye-contact
and walk away
without losing face.
Richard Fleming
