24 September 2009

Ant Bites

800px-Meat_eater_ant_feeding_on_honey02

Ant-bites leave no tame
illusions it’s free-for-all –
you better believe they’re
equipped to do you harm

Picking limes doesn’t seem
hazardous until stubborn pain
from ant fangs aided by
thorns dispels uncertainty

Scratches I can live with
but lime-tree ants frantically
trapped between shirt and
skin demand a vicious rent

Dead – yes, crushed out of
existence in a heartbeat
but citronellal pungency
spreads graphic warnings

Says with ominous certainty
the next few hours
ain’t gonna be
all that pleasant...
© 31 July 2009, I. D. Carswell

No comments:

Post a Comment