The rat scurrying across my shoulder
in the dark
was not seen
barely heard
hardly smelt
but could be felt
quite profoundly
and will be remembered
so very definitely
for as long as my skin will crawl.

With no visible evidence of its existence,
though,
no hair
no hide tanned
nor tail caught
I cannot prove there ever was a rat
outside of my fevered imaginings.
I know it was there
but
do I really?

Are the creatures truly rattling in my home
or in my head
or someplace else I don’t yet understand?
I’d ask if there was someone around
and the rodent
it seems
is nowhere to be found.