Observations on Dead Things

a dead shark ended up on a subway car in New York City
it was riding the subway to Queens, blood shining on its wet mouth like lipgloss
authorities threw it away at the end of the line

a dead thing lies in the sand in the front yard
hairless, grey like old milk
flies have started to use its body as an incubator
a bee chews –sucks?– at a small hole in the dead thing’s face
deathly kisses

shoo— I wave my hand like a wand
the insects do not stop their work
they abuse the dead thing
filling its mouth with eggs, yellow filings
I use a newspaper to scoop up the tiny body
and throw the whole microbiome into the garbage can at the side of the house

children will rip the wings off Japanese beetles that hide in the rose bushes
just to watch them buzz in vain on the sidewalk