There’s ants in my bathroom
A poem by Sean Kathryn Bratton
The more of them I ignore, the more of them disappear. The focus in the mind is something powerful, it holds magic very dear.
I’ve had ants in my bathroom, going on about 4 weeks. I have ants in my bathroom and they’re currently roaming the tub, playing in leaks.
I’ve had ants in my bathroom and I don’t even mind. I have ants in my bathroom and they watch me bathe and pass the time.
I have ants in my bathroom and truth be told I want them to stay. Maybe I’ve found comfort in their visit, as they roam my tiles without my care, or fuck, or dismay.
I have ants in my bathroom and there’s something about their overstayed visit that is bringing me joy. As if little me is loving this, no parent to terminate and destroy.
Once upon a time a single ant would’ve set me aloof. I would’ve done everything in my power to make them go poof. The fact that I feel welcome to them, enjoy them, and feel something for them is crazy. Some might say I’m a bit in a daze, going a bit hazy. I say where’s the harm, they’re nature after all. They’re here for now, marching around, cleaning up after my crumbs that fall.
Nothing has changed, there’s no hole in the wall, food on a plate. They’re new here, one day they were not and then one day they appeared. How silly is it to say, some ants have taught me things; wondering aimlessly on my tiles, living their life wherever they may. The more of them I ignore, the more of them disappear. The focus in the mind is something powerful, it holds magic very dear.
There’s ants in my bathroom and for now they’re here to stay. They’re part of my decor, they’re part of my terrain. Little me enjoys them, so little me says they shall remain.
