are pissed
mad as hell
not gonna take it
anymore
watering holes
dried up
they buzz
our cola cans
lust after our
post-pickleball sweat
crawl inside
our t-shirts
try to lick
our parched lips
barb us
with their stingers
until
our eyes
finally water

Christy Schwan is a native Hoosier farm kid, rock hound, wild berry picker, wildflower seeker, astronomy studier, and quiet sports lover of kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing and loon spotting. Her preferred writing studio is a treehouse-level screened porch sheltered from mosquito swarms in northern Wisconsin.