A POEM by LISA LERMA WEBER
Anting
Sometimes crows cover themselves in ants.
Scientists think it might be like a bath,
or the splashing of aftershave on their feathers.
I imagine covering myself in ants,
letting their chemicals clean me—
fungicides, insecticides, biocides,
all my dirtiness washed away.
My shame and guilt cast aside.
I imagine the tingling I'd feel
when the ants have baptized me.
But I am not a crow.
It would be a baptism by fire.
A bite for every sin
and I would bathe in formic acid.
The crows simply fly away
after their deep cleaning.
I would find a different sort of freedom.
Lisa Lerma Weber (she/her) lives in San Diego, CA. Her words and photography have been published online and in print. Follow her on the place formerly known as Twitter: @LisaLermaWeber.