the coyote and the wolf

longing

it didn't take long for coyote to venture out to that same spot, only to find that wolf was already waiting for him. coyote's face cracked into the brightest of smiles, and he swore he saw wolfs lips twist into one too. he began the conversation once more, letting the words fall out without thinking.

"wolf, you're the most beautiful thing.
i used to think it was me;
the most beautiful thing...
but you are me in larger form,
and that makes you even more beautiful.
its like looking in a mirror!
except all my best traits are magnified...
i'm rambling, i'm sorry,
i tend to do that when i'm nervous.
would you like to walk with me?"

wolf looked rather taken aback by the spill of words. they looked as if they had never heard a compliment, or been asked to spend time with anyone. coyote had heard of the "lone wolf" expression, but it was sad to imagine that a creature so alluring was never met with interest from others.

without answering coyotes question, wolf thanked him for killing that moth the other day. they explained that the insect had been following them for months; pestering them and ruining their mood with their constant whining sound. it was a pitch that most others couldn't hear, and it had been driving wolf crazy for a long time.

"if it angered you so much,
why did you let it stay?
i mean,
you could take down a deer
if you wanted!
something so vile...
shouldn't hold power over you."

wolf explained that it wasn't as simple as that. they and the bug had been very close at one point, it had provided great comfort in times of grave loneliness. but no matter how hard and how much wolf tried to love it, the moth was just not a good moth. it only wanted to be around wolf so that it could eat their food and take their shelter. it wanted to use them for their size and take advantage of their soft spot. and wolf couldn't help but let it, because they had never been loved back before, and they wanted to believe that this time was different.

coyote fell silent for a moment. he felt bad for how he spoke to wolf, the situation seemed much more difficult to leave now that he knew the entire story. he swallowed the lump in his throat before taking a breath and replying.

"someday it will be different, you know.
someday, someone will marvel
at your every trait; good and bad.
someday, you will be loved
even more than you love others."

wolfs face was unreadable again and coyote feared that they would cease to converse.

"would you like to walk with me?"

wolf nodded, and the two began to walk back towards the desert- where coyote lived.