mind-termites
no
no
no
mr ted hughes
a fox can’t be a thought
you’re dead
& we’re supposed to respect the dead
sure thing
but a thought-fox?
a cute metaphor
i can give you that
but does it hold up?
thoughts
i can assure you
are termites
sylvia
your dead ex-wife living in my head
nods yes
thoughts are the termites of the mind
& unlike your thought-fox
thought-termites long for solitude
a clock’s loneliness
is the least of their concern
they hate neat prints in dark snow
& couldn’t care less about my blank page
as they run amok
in our heads
& compete to eat up
& swallow whatever
thought they can find
nothing will be written
the mind-termites
ferocious
as they always are
won’t help
printing the page
on the contrary
the mind-termites
will drill & devour
not only the page
but also
my pen
& my fingers holding the pen
my words
& my …
