How to Kill a Nest in the Walls

Put the children to bed.

Crawl out from the sanctum, sleep-heavy.

Dawn thick fabrics head to toe and
put aside the rest of your preservation.

Silence the contradiction of the deed,
its gibberish irony,
a mad ringleader’s bellow.

Enter the ring, overweening.
Do not be too cautious with your precious body—
a sting or two is no consequence
for their gagged sleep.

Pause to marvel at life’s insolent flame,
laughing in the face of a universe
constantly trying to stomp it out.

Hose in hand, bleed the nest,
each little body plucked leaving the hearth colder,
vacuum giggling at its buzzing tickly tummy,
a red drunken clown.

When the home is hollow,
All mourners stomped out,
open the wall’s ribs and tear it out,
a hollow handmade heart
Barely beating.