wasp

day twenty six

The other day I stepped next to a wasp.

Not on, but next to. 

I made sure not to cause pain

Because I know what it's like 

To be hurt. 

Its thorax crawled across the pavement

On a becoming day of Spring 

In Brooklyn. 

My thorax has changed significantly 

Over the last year. 

What was once as steep as 

Filbert Street

Now bears the movement 

Of the red rocks

On a rainbow mars. 

I was always told to kill a wasp

If I could. 

We tend to believe that they are dangerous

Threatening

Pointless. 

But I think if we tried to eliminate 

All that we thought dangerous 

We would be void of 

Knowing how to survive. 

I’ve learned a lot about survival over the past year. 

I now know that I cannot leave the house

Without some sort of protection. 

Day or night

The world will always try to step on us. 

I dream 

A dream,

But I know that maybe one day

It can be convinced 

To let it step next to, 

Rather than on, us.

And we can fly 

And fly 

And fly. 

And eventually will lose the need

To always have a stylet. 

Stinging in defense 

Of what we know. 

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