Hornet’s Nest

Troublemaker

shoving your nose

where it shouldn’t be

they got you all right

must have been thirty

burrowing all over your fur

shoving in

those ugly teardrop stingers

I had to scrape them

from your skin with a stick

your eyes so wild

so blank so full of pain

over and over

kept finding more

even when we got indoors

and your nose

began swelling

like a laundry bag

I pulled a dead one

from your burning ear

 

Understand

I tried to draw their fire

but they’d marked you out

all they wanted was

you, you, you