Dear Tick has been published in Literary Yard.
Dear tick
like the herpes of the woods you seek to infect my life and vacation
I’m not your intended prey and I am not out looking for you
you take advantage of my desire to frolic and play
your presence makes me a prisoner of our own beautiful beach house
Unknown to me you seek an unsanctioned symbiosis
Claiming your right to jump a few links in the food chain
Go pick on a deer or a dog or something that won’t mind
I cringe at the thought of your engorged on my blood
A tenacious squatter you require minor surgery to remove
A civil war aid kit of tweezers and matches and pain
Head first you drink all you can of my life in stolen gulps
you get fat on me and I may not even notice
somehow when I flush you down the toilet after i’ve uncovered your plot
I know your life will still continue and your hunt will not end
Waiting quietly with endless insect patience
your mind blank with blood lust
You pause for opportunity to simply brush by
a silent ride of survival in a flea eat dog world