What Speaks To Me
By Cathryn Shea-
Lately, I’m mindful of insects and arachnids though I’m not hearing them in great swarms and of course spiders are silent. I’m not even hearing the mosquito’s annoying buzz although “buzz” isn’t the right word for their minuscule drilling. The quiet cabbage butterflies draw my attention and certainly busy bumblebees. I let daddy longlegs stay in its corner. In my kitchen, I catch an errant housefly, release it outdoors and wish it good luck. I no longer squash, swat, and smash to pieces. I watch the ants walk their tireless path near my sink. I might wash some down the drain or sprinkle Borax around the cabinets but I don’t kill with toxic poisons like I used to. We all come and go as we please. Insects and their cousins murmur to me and each other: Live and let live. I love being naïve.
Cathryn Shea’s poetry collection is “Genealogy Lesson for the Laity” (Unsolicited Press, 2020); her chapbooks include “Backpack Full of Leaves” and “It’s Raining Lullabies.” A Best of the Net nominee, her poetry and flash fiction have appeared in anthologies and journals including Eastern Iowa Review, New Orleans Review, Tar River, and Gargoyle. Cathryn served as editor for Marin Poetry Center Anthology. She lives in Fairfax, CA. You can find her at www.cathrynshea.com and @cathy_shea on Twitter.