insectum

[miharu]

Wasp wings dust my lips with pollen,
an anesthetic to numb the pain-
their needles sting holes around my mouth.

Like a spider spinning silk,
I sit with a spindle in darkness
linking wisps of anxiety and panic
into threads of steel.
Swallowing my words like keys,
my lips are sewn shut with my neuroses.

Inside my soul, ants dance, their thousands
etching highways through my body,
itching trails though my skin,
pheromones to find their way home.
I am a vessel for swirling thoughts
cut out and borne through my veins.

Lids like smoke veil my eyes-
the dull drone of hornets
drifts out every blink.
Their nest houses my brain while
smoldering coals breathe sedation,
hums poised, smothered.

The exoskeletons inside flesh out my face.
Gossamer wings flutter my blinks.
I am a facsimile of movement,
dancing orchestrations, a sum of my parts.

My frequencies resonate
an exhaled pitch too high to interpret
among my own masses,
I do not warrant a second glance

[dwells]

Miharu! - longtime and as a zoology major myself, this was totally creepy crawly; with an originality never before seen in the annals of extended metaphorium :) You have been missed - your lab coat awaits...cheers! - Dan

[rupertpupkin]

Wonderful write. Creepily crawly throughout with brilliant ideas and superb word choices. Loved it!

[courtly]

This might seem slightly grotesque, however it does try to weave that into an aesthetic. The ending seems slightly unclear, 'do not warrant' according to whom? There are many insects, however you could stand to describe them more. The ants in their 'soul' are slightly more abstract than the other creatures, which seems odd. Also, perhaps some negative effects would be worth stressing. The 'insects' seem to undermine their movement or take them over, so stressing their power over the speaker might be worthwhile. Otherwise, a slightly innovative direction for a poem.

[rupertpupkin]

Hi. I loved this the first time I read it and love it even more now. Well done on a most deserving spotlight.

[BlueConniption]

I despise insects, so this made me quite uncomfortable in the best way possible! Lol. I felt all the vibrations within and around me - the wings, the buzzing, the energy of the ants marching...terrifying yet terrific job!