by Phoebe

The lizardmen
are green and blue,
lanky and bright-hued,
like paint on a canvas
before the mixing happens,
and their eyes
are bright amber gemstones
that could snapshot
any moment of time
like a camera.
Immensely predatorial,
and also territorial,
they are the boogeyman
that haunts us after
we grow up
from easier monsters.

They come at us,
hissing, some throwing
javelins made of graphene,
mithral, starmetal, or meteorite,
others taunting us, telling us
everything we've believed
is no longer true,

as Buttercup and I
rear up on their hinds,
ready to fight.

Buttercup
Shine your camera
lights in our eyes!

Our gloved paws
are poised for
a scratch, claw,
and bite fist-fight
as Hooman #A
directs his phone light
into our eyes
so we send lasers
at closest lizardman,
turning them to ash.

Feeling brave, I lunge
into the next predator
with my fangs bared
and tail poofed large.