The Tick

Long walk, long grass.

It’s called grounding now, you know?

You stick your feet onto the Earth

And it’s supposed to balance your entire being. 

But today, 

Today I picked up a tiny taker. 

Eight legs and not a spider. 

A fraud.

Phony footsteps onto my arm. 

I didn’t know he was there until the damage was done.

I was there to be one with nature.

I was there to connect to my roots as a human being,

And he

Served no purpose

Other than his own desires. 

Simply: My blood. 

He stalked me. 

Detecting body heat,

Carbon dioxide,

Sweat chemicals.

All traitors today, 

All gave me away. 

This is a one-way relationship. 

He takes it all until he is done. 

Built on the philosophy of

Taking, never tending, 

With tactics and chelicerae to cut my skin

A direct line to feed. 

Consume and resume.

He rests,

Plump and satiated,

Until he stalks a new host. 

Never even a thank you. 

Parasitic poser. 

They say the damage depends upon the

Parasite’s past. 

So I wait 

To find out what 

his traumas reveal

To understand my 

Future.