Encountering the Other

Deimatic behaviour or startle display[1] means any pattern of bluffing behaviour in an animal that lacks strong defences,” Wikipedia – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deimatic_behaviour 

The wounded other
strikes me
like a fearful
ghost
in deimatic display ,
bluffing
poisonously. 

(My gramma taught me
how to breathe
in cold times)

I close my mouth
and breathe through
my filtering nose -
to clear the air.