If I Had Rabies

If I Had Rabies by Patricia Theriot

If I had rabies,

and everyone knew,

I would yell and shake my trembling fists.

If I had rabies,

what would I do?

I would sob, wipe away snot, and have flailing fits.

If I had rabies,

and their eyes glistened with pity,

I would kick and scream and act extra shitty.

If I had rabies,

and it wasn’t my fault,

I would tell every idiot exactly what I thought.

If I had rabies,

I’d let my teeth show.

But I don’t have rabies,

So, no one will know.