web. nest. infestation.
words that make her skin crawl
thrown into temporary fits
of willies and shivers
upon sight or sense of one
she shuts down
reduced to a blubbering shell
pacing
frantically spot-frisking herself
fingering her hair
for any unwanted hitchhiker
she is so afraid that
she can’t even kill them
she couldn’t possibly risk the uncomfortable
proximity
so finely tuned is her fear
that she can tell if one is in a dark room
even if she is sleeping
her daily routine involves
their constant avoidance
EXTERMINATION is factored
into her regular bills
she is so afraid that to even
speak or write of them
she must detach from herself
as if she were referring to someone else
mks