mealworm, by Kate Dent

   take a life’s substrata  

categorise   scrutinise elements    

swim in the oil on the surface  

glide through its greasy truth    

choke on boned beauty   the fecundity  

of everything.   take a mealworm  

 

 

egg   larva   pupa   imago

metamorphosis   ipseity or  

confusion?   discuss   add  

likeminded arthropods   slide down  

the mast   an elegant epiphany    

shed carefully   fly hard.  

 

 

take a moor’s breadth   or a  

marsh   add a microscope   inspect each sedge   

stem-sticky  light-licked  sap candy   

slop brown noise   rough embrace

divide by three   distil.  take a landscape

selfie   share incautiously   stop  

 

 

look   listen   think   make it macro

point a telescope at the pillars of

creation   decipher  

form   meaning   layers   walnut whip

categorise   emphasise elements   

of a life’s substrata.

 

 

 

 

Published 23rd​​ of July 2023

 

 

About Kate Dent

 

An MA graduate with a background in London-based arts admin, Kate Dent currently lives near Stroud, Gloucestershire, where - when not writing, reading or losing track of time whilst staring up at blue-ish skies - she runs a glampsite.

 

 

Follow Kate on Instagram @katedentpoetry