To the Creature that Lives in the Ceiling at Work
First I think you’re just a fly
somehow managed your way
into a ceiling fluorescent fixture
I’m still thinking you’re a fly
until I hear you shifting your weight
near another light panel
Then you’re all over the place
and I’m not focusing at all
on the report I was typing
I lean back to consider the option
of telling someone about you
leading to that sinking feeling
Tattling is not the same as an adult
and in this case it’s your life
on the line
I opt to turn out the light
believing this will placate you—
it seems to do the trick
Previously appeared in The Broadkill Review July/August issue 2016