or, I Hate Dem Flies
I hate
Dem flies
The way dere skeletal bodies
Thud their way across the
Inside
Of my windows
Dirty even in their attempts
To escape
Never sure if dey come or go
I hate
Dem flies
The way dey leave traces of
5 million germs
As dey crawl
Hairy-legged across the
Papers on my desk
My clipboards and
The rim of my watercup
I hate
Dem flies
How dey rub dere hands
In the semblance of prayer
Instead depositing dirty traces
Of all the dirty places dey've been
And leaving it on sleeves
Desks and
People's hair
I hate
Dem flies
I hate dere dead bodies
Dere exoskeletons
Decomposing on my windowsill
I hate dere wings
Dere ever-shifting mouths
Even dere flight
Normally enviable
I despise
Worse than
Lepidopteras* whose
Fragile flight at least holds
Beauty for some
Useless creatures
Dem flies
Dirty creatures with which
I wish
I held less in common
© j.e.s
---
*The scientific name for butterflies, which I
used to think were gross. If the thought crosses your mind that there is a common denominator of wings, I wrote a poem about that too, years ago. (Science lesson: flies are of the order 'diptera' which stands for 'two wings.')
This particular poem though, was written on impulse while in my office today, prepping for class. Poems that hit me like this always demands release.
Fly, dirty fly, fly away.
The last stanza, for those of you who need interpretations (and since I am in the rare mood for providing them) comes from
Isaiah 64. Ultimately, and often, it comes down to the unsettling truth that we are what we often despise.
There is some internal meaning behind the breaking of lines and stanzas though, which you will just have to figure out yourselves. =)
The cold, dirty facts about flies:
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=1026Flies are gross. They will vomit on you. They do carry about 5 million germs.
Fly away, dirty fly, fly away.
Comments (10)
A hearty AMEN. We have a fly problem. There are a bunch of eggs in all of the window sills (I think) because every time the sun would come out (even in the dead of winter) they would hatch and be buzzing around the window...then they would die. I DETEST flies. And I'm NOT going to read the dirty facts. I think I may go insane and go on a never-ending cleaning spree...
@rAmOsEs - i hate flies. maybe once i get up there we can go on a fly killing campaign. don't read the dirty facts. it just made me have even more disgust for them. if they weren't so dirty, i might be more fascinated by them. did i ever tell you my wormhole theory about flies? you should remind me to tell you if I haven't...
Don't eat them
Deut 14:19 - Allflying insects that swarm are unclean to you; do not eat them.
Ask for the Exterminator
Exodus 8:31 - and the LORD did what Moses asked: The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained.
:)
By the way, have you ever heard of the fly joke? heheheee.... funny... remind me to tell you the joke... hopefully I don't kill it;)
Ah, I remember the old old days when my mom would spray insecticide in each room and after 10 min you go back to the room to find the floor littered with flies.
That's what happens when you live on a hog farm.
You haven't seen flies, honey.
@gpspacey - hogs? i thought you only had chickens for some reason. i'm grateful for my low fly problem. but they're still gross. i hate dem. i suppose it's a western luxury.
not sure about my TRUE status...will check now. (all i know is that i'm one percent closer now. :)
I'm at 85%....I mean 86% now. :)
@rAmOsEs - you so close jude. i will try to give you something to comment about. =)
dat's da bomb
@greatgrandpadog - in and out like the wind.