The Chameleon

I caught a chameleon lizard
in my backyard,
and to please myself
I moved him from a green leaf
to a tree’s brown bark,
then to my yellow porch
where he froze in my hand,
his eyes fixed on me
as if waiting for me to change.

But I stayed the same.

I stayed the same,
and kept him behind a screen
until he had given me
all his colors.

Then I opened the door,
but he wouldn’t move.
He just kept his eyes on me –
as if waiting for me to change.

~ Judith Ortiz Cofer