Home » Poems » Elizabeth Mccann » To a Fly Drinking

To a Fly Drinking

Fly in orbit, fly in creep, 
Margin on the edge of sleep,
Feast your portion from the best.;
I would bargain blood for rest! 
Leave your frantic fantasies bare, 
Sculpted onto empty air. 

Fly, you have not heard my plea.
You zoom in on my ear, my knee. 
Rousing from my noonday haze, 
My lassitude becoming rage,
I tell you, fly, cease now this play!
But here you come again my way!

Oh, brother of this feeble flesh,
Darting, dodge this trapping mesh! 
'Til once the blow! Swift undoes
The circle into circle, buzz.
Alike with life our end begun, 
Histories in speck and thumb.



(with a  respectful nod to William Blake)

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Gershon Wolf

Date: 9/17/2022 8:55:00 PM

And let's also give a nod to Dr. Seuss for the sheer delight and madcap rhythm of this FAVE, Elizabeth! Excelsior! ~ Gershon

Elizabeth Mccann

Date: 9/14/2022 7:12:00 PM

I didn't know you'd grown up here in 'Stralia! We had the strips in rural Ohio. The best part was when the cat got stuck on one that was waiting to be hung...Lovely to hear from you.. Elizabeth

Suzanne Delaney

Date: 9/14/2022 12:10:00 PM

Excellent poem, Elizabeth…..and the title drew me in. I remember the sticky fly strips when I was growing up in outback Australia. Also remember the annoying buzz and how they would get inside when meet was cooking. That was long ago so thanks for the memories, as Bob Hope would say. Take care, SuZ

Robert Gorelick

Date: 8/21/2022 6:58:00 PM

This flies in the face of a good night sleep. A jaunting whimsical treat! Robert

Elizabeth Mccann

Date: 8/12/2022 5:24:00 PM

Glad you liked it, Patrick. Flies still remind me of the old farm days when the sticky strip hung from the ceiling and flies got stuck. The funniest though was when the strip was lying on the bench one day and the cat got on it! Elizabeth

Patrick Cornwall

Date: 8/12/2022 12:49:00 PM

Flying and zooming Zooming is best Fly come not tarry Flatten you pest That would be my line for I hate flies And when one gets in my home I don’t linger until he or she is dead. Loved your poem . Elizabeth

Panagiota Romios

Date: 8/10/2022 8:53:00 AM

Elizabeth, welcome to lifetime membership. I just did that too! I love having no ads to look at! I find your poem quite delightful! I appreciate the simplicity of the poem that people can read understand and not look up words thank you ……)) There is something almost Shakespearian about it. Excuse my long comment! But I find that more satisfying than a few words so please do forgive me. Panagiota x….

Elizabeth Mccann
Date: 8/10/2022 8:45:00 PM

I really appreciate your reply. I've never published until now in Poetry Soup! So I'm still thrilled to have an audience! I, too, refuse to get out the dictionary or the encyclopedia. Give me assonance, resonance and feeling! Elizabeth