crumbs

the silence in a balmy afternoon
birds call out in whispered coos
the cookie crumbles to the floor
birds fly in and peck some more
beaks tug in on the crumbs at my feet
i smile and withstand the prickling heat
as ants crawl all over my face
as the roaches climb into my ears
as the rats gnaw on my fingernails
and the bees torment me with poisoned tails
i'm reduced to a crumbling cookie
a perfect offering for the gods in guise.