Ray Ball
They roil and swarm
in the frenzy of a feast
more consuming than bloodlust
as they devour the chameleons
sitting in cages lidded
with braided wire – an easy
entry for the fire ants.
It is the work of a few
hours to show us the delicate
bones of hope. My father
will rage as if it was
his own flesh that bore
their stinging bites, his bones
exposed and gleaming.
And I will yearn
to be able to do anything
that would earn me
a reaction of that intensity.
***
Ray Ball, PhD, is a history professor who hails from the South but now lives in Alaska. She is the author of two history books, and her creative work has recently appeared or is forthcoming in Cirque, Louisiana Literature, Okay Donkey, and UCity Review. She has been nominated for Best of the Net and a Pushcart. You can find her in the classroom, the archives, or on Twitter @ProfessorBall.