“The Spoils Will Crawl With Us”
The Spoils Will Crawl With Us
When the world bangs shut
mostly,
we
will not whimper, we
will lurk, as accustomed,
in the close crevices of
smolder and freeze, sowing our little
black eggs, seeds that root equally
in the rot and burn of
abundance, need, scrapers-by in the crud
of whatever, until, all together, we blink
our beetle-black eyes and creep free,
finally, our carapaces a shine of silent
smug, without worry of pacing
sole, heel-hammer, stink-nozzled
spray, our antennae un-
cocked crowns reigning feelingly over crisped
crusts, the blue plastic portals
of fosslized fridge doors sky enough
for survivors (no
kitchen lights to scrabble away from
now), the only counters, us, who will tally
and chew, as randomly systematic
as any overlord, all those
crumbs, smears, stains,
our six legs raised
to the power of else.
*************************************
Posting this draft poem (apologies to those who feel a little sick) for Real Toads prompt about some good feeling that may arise at the end of the world, an “Out of Standard” challenge hosted by Isadore Gruye. Check out Real Toads, and check out my books! From main page!
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, UncategorizedTags: "The Spoils Will Crawl With Us", cockroaches inherit the earth, Dung For All!, http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, manicddaily, poem about beetles, who will be happy at doomsday
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ManicDDaily 
August 9, 2012 at 1:10 pm
“finally, our carapaces a shine of silent” my favorite line in a poem chock full of amazing phrasing and vivid imagery. these powerful, well-spoken little bugs live on. the end of the world is not so bad after all.
August 9, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Well, thanks, but not sure I agree. They are survivors, of course, as anyone who’s ever had an infestation can attest! k.
August 9, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Your phrase, “…the rot and burn of abundance,” prompts so many writing ideas. Excellent post. Thank you for “The Spoils Will Crawl With Us.”
August 9, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Thanks, Marilyn.
August 9, 2012 at 1:46 pm
Interesting to think who will inherit the prime real estate everyone squabbles over, isnt it? I so enjoyed this poem!!!!
August 9, 2012 at 1:52 pm
oh heck…now we know who the real survivors are…no one left that hunts them down anymore…no one who writes poems about them either…ha..
August 9, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Outstanding writing! Brilliant word choice all the way through.
August 9, 2012 at 2:28 pm
This is an amazing vision and packed with powerful wordplay and incredible imagery. One of my favourites of this challenge.
the blue plastic portals
of fosslized fridge doors sky enough
for survivors
Excellent work!
August 9, 2012 at 2:48 pm
finally, our carapaces a shine of silent…a great line and the imagery of the refrigerator doors as well….really well done k…some nice word play as well which always tickles my fancy….smiles…..
August 9, 2012 at 3:17 pm
we blink
our beetle-black eyes and creep free,
finally, our carapaces a shine of silent
smug, without worry of pacing
sole, heel-hammer, stink-nozzled
spray, our antennae un-
cocked crowns reigning feelingly over crisped
crusts,
LOVE THIS PORTION!!!! Excellently written!!
August 9, 2012 at 3:45 pm
fantastic imagery, sequences of words, flow, cadence. I extremely impressed with this. Most of all – the grit. Bitchin’
August 9, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Ha! Not a word I usually like to hear, but thanks, Luke. (of course that’s a double ha.) k.
August 9, 2012 at 6:23 pm
Bitchin’ as in that silly synonym for ‘awesome’ used in the 80s
August 9, 2012 at 6:30 pm
No Luke I got it. I was making a joke because of your phenomenon cat Stevens poem. Sorry this may be incoherent–standing on a train with engine problems. Agh. K
August 9, 2012 at 4:38 pm
I know there is a grim and disgusting aspect to this, but really, you did the perfect handling of mood for a prompt that said make the best of apocalyptic annihilation–I was smiling at the irony and the smug (no scrabble now!–inspired!) and forgot to get queasy, though roaches are possibly my least favorite life form–being sort of Life’s last resort–though I would hope that somewhere Keith Richards is still fighting them for pizza crusts in this scenario.
(PS Oddly enough I’ve been working on a roach poem myself, with some scrabbling. Not humorous, though.)
August 9, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Oh dear. Well, they lend themselves to all moods! Thanks.
August 9, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Creepy, and indeed, crawly… *shudder* 😉
August 9, 2012 at 6:38 pm
I now live in the south and KNOW they can survive anything! Well done!
August 9, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Shiver and shudder…and I know they will be sitting on naugahyde couches and chairs! Very good write, creepy crawly but good.
August 9, 2012 at 7:27 pm
I can see it now … Earth inhabited by the roaches! Nicely done.
August 9, 2012 at 8:13 pm
I once worked in a place where there were cockroaches, but they were small ones. I brought my young cat to work with me every day, and soon there were no cockroaches at all.
Great poem, imaginative and well-phrased.
K
August 9, 2012 at 10:05 pm
I love the angle you chose. It’s often said that the roaches will be the only ones left at the end of the world, and I never thought that they would be jubilant roaches whose “carapaces a shine of silent
smug, without worry of pacing sole,” just fantastic work. Thanks for posting on my Out of Standard challenge. Viva la
August 9, 2012 at 10:08 pm
Thanks so much, Izzy. I meant to post your name and will add it – I was very rushed posting, and then traveling so a bit discombobulated. But wanted to give you credit re cool prompt. k.