the estate of union st

the maggots are coming out of the woodwork

there must be something underneath the boards

for the woodlice and termites and beetles

have eaten inwards from outside the oak floors

the maggots are coming out from the woodwork

their mouths full of rotting flesh

there must be something behind the panels

a tresspasser or long-forgotten guest

the maggots don’t eat wood floor panels

the scientists say they only eat meat

we’ve ignored them for a good long long while

and now we’re eating our words, and in for a treat

the maggots are eating the resident

(they have identified the body as such)

the flesh was bloated and eaten in places

but that it lived there, they know as much

the maggots crawl through the woodwork

those carved boards of rich design

which creak and swell as the body distends

their slats no longer aligned

the woodcarver, a gifted artist

came from far away

his labor was greatly appreciated

and it was announced he was given fair pay

the termites chewed through the woodwork

which was meant to muffle the screams

the screams are gone but the house still echoes

as the creatures chatter and teem

the woodwork has lost both lustre and worth

splintered cabinets lay in disarray

the carrion carries on festering

the house its coffin, and hell to pay

cz

[to be illustrated in future]