by Pavel Chichikov
Down the street two men came running
Panic overwhelming them
They ran as only those who fear,
With pumping arms, their death is near
Then from distances emerged
Compact shapes inside the verge
Beads on wires counted so,
Abacus of rats in rows
Ranks, formations hurried, fled
From where they lived to gnaw the dead,
Scratching past from where we stood
Gaping from a stage of wood
Then a stream began to rise
Along the road from side to side,
Lapped the edges of the planks
Streaming water, boards a bank
Rats were grappling, pulled and hauled
Themselves to us, I struck and mauled
Them down to drowning, kicked and crushed
Their paws with boot heel, stamped and smashed
They fell away, their courage spent
Their human eyes half-sentient:
‘To our destruction beat and thrust
Us, pitiless and merciless'
Boots their curving backbones broke
Until in morning light I woke
Until in warning light of day –
Mercy on us Lord we pray
Visit Pavel's website at Grey Owl Press.
