3-Word Prompt: Hippopotamus, Spelunking, Meat

You move

Like a hippopotamus.

Fast.

Intentional.

You wade along

The bottom of the riverbed

Pretending to relish in its warm bath.

But your eyes are everywhere.

At any moment,

Your giant mouth is

Prepared to tear the meat

From your prey.

This is your territory.

A space you will protect

Until the ends of the earth.

While your head may bob

Playfully

Above the water, snacking on vegetation,

You are ready

To be a predator.

You take solace

In cool spaces —

The water, the shade of a tree,

The occasional cave —

Places where you won’t be easily found.

There’s no spelunking here,

No SCUBA divers exploring your ecosystem,

No debunking

Of myths.

Your rage hides in the quiet parts.

Still, you are always ready to snap.

Your jaws open wide

At the first sign of weakness.

You move like a hippopotamus.