What the Insects are Dreaming of


The caterpillar is dreaming of his methadone counselor:
see how his legs twitch as he pictures their argument.

The pill beetle is dreaming of a forest of pill beetles,
all sizes, in the carpet of a hotel room.

The roach is dreaming of an argument with his wife.

The daddy-long legs is dreaming about when he tripped
on the front lawn in high school. As he sleeps, he covers his
face with his legs, trying to hide again.

The spider is dreaming that a gallery in Chelsea
agreed to show his paintings, the earlier, abstract ones.
He is smiling so hard he wakes himself up.

The stink beetle is dreaming of sinking into
a rose. He struggles for purchase with his
tiny hooked feet, but slides further and further
into the pink muck.

The flea is dreaming of cooked vegetables,
specifically, baked potatoes with garlic butter.
With his eyes closed, he claws slowly at his chin
to wipe off the grease.

The praying mantis is dreaming of her last husband,
how he took their daughter to the park and threw
her into the air, again and again. Make me fly,
Make me fly, she had whispered, frantic with joy.