Extra Protein: a poem

 

Extra Protein

 

I declare to you:

I do believe
that I just drank a fly.

The insect, that is.
You know, like the song…
I know an old lady
who swallowed a fly
I don’t know why…

Only I think I know
why I swallowed this lump
that floated down my throat
just a minute ago.

I left an open can of energy drink,
half full,
on my work desk at the office
yesterday, and this morning
as I hastily guzzled a sizeable gulp
of the sweet caffeine,
I inadvertently partook
of a small unfortunate creature
whose curiosity last night
was the death of him,
drowning instead of swimming
in a dark aluminum cave of sugared liquid,

soon to spin
in a sea of acid.
I can feel him headed there now,
a lump of chitin with curled legs—
causing me to suppress my gag reflex,
but still be able to ponder his journey.

Alas, as they say,
I needed a bit of extra
protein, anyway!

*** 

Tansy Julie the Soaring Eagle Paschold

11-10-23