28.10.08

Balkongast












Late Autumn Wasp

"One must admire the desperate way it flings
itself through air amid winter’s slow paralysis,

and clings to shriveled fruit, dropped Coke bottle,
any sugary residue, any unctuous carcass,

and slug-drunk grows stiff, its joints unswiveled,
wings stale and oar-still, like a heart; yes, almost

too easily like a heart the way, cudgeled, it lies
waiting for shift of season, light, a thing to drink down,

gnaw on, or, failing that, leaves half of itself torn
willingly, ever-quivering, in some larger figure."

(James Hoch)

2 Kommentare:

Threadspider hat gesagt…

That's powerful writing. I used to dislike wasps, but now have an admiration for both them and hornets after a talk with a pest contol officer last week. I have left the hornets nest on my house ungassed-the winter will act on them more quickly,and more kindly.

gerfiles hat gesagt…

There´s a lot out there, sometimes annoying as it might be, which is highly admirable for its toughness and beauty, isn´t it? I once found a small wasp nest under a chair on the balcony. Wrapped a plastic sack around the chair and stowed it away in the cellar. The feeding wasp searched the balcony for days, indefatigable and very methodical - I wouldn´t do that again...