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"Houseflies"

By Kevin BarentsPosted Tuesday, March 25, 2008, at 7:27 AM ET

Listen to Kevin Barents read this poem.


I knew you all when you were young.
I tried to drown you in the garbage bin

with bleach and hose-water, but you floated up
and swam, jerking little grubs,

like bloated rice, or someone punching
from inside a tiny body bag.

And now you circle overhead—
small, neat, glossy with newness,

helping yourselves to what was mine,
angels from the man-made world.

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Kevin Barents' poetry recently appeared in Meridian.
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