Life in the Sun

Meaning is not what this does,
Meaning, not what it tells you—
We mean, this life in the sun,

On its back, six legs wriggling,
Struggling. No, you don’t love it.
You’re not a lizard. You’re not

A bit keen on eating it.
You’re a little revolted,
But you recognize its life.

It is alive. It ate things
To get this big, maybe things
You clumsily left for it,

Your bits of waste its pastures.
And it too, too actively
Reminds you it’s an agent,

A complicated system
Of nerves and muscles striving
To keep going, keep going,

Keep going, keep going, pause,
And then again, keep going.
It does indicate some things.

There’s lots of information
About life, about insects,
About parasites and hosts

(Like you, it’s probably both).
But don’t ask it what it means.
You mean what you mean by it.