Mark Tulin

Fountain of Rats

It was a sight to behold;
the fountain of rats
spilling over
inside a downtown parking lot;
a sea of rodents,
flowed like a clamoring waterfall
of long, skinny tails
and sharp, pointed teeth
and eyes that glowed in the dark.

They seemed to favor me;
swarming in
and out
of my presence,
groveling
at my soon to be toeless feet.

The gang of thieves
gnawed deep
and clean,
fighting over my fingers,
meaty arms, and impacted intestine
until they got what they came for
and the munching was done
in the quiet of the night;
they disappeared by dawn.

Mark Tulin is a former therapist who lives in California. Mark has a poetry chapbook, Magical Yogis, and two upcoming books, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories and Awkward Grace. He’s been featured in Vita Brevis, Amethyst Review, Poppy Road Review, among others.  Follow Mark at Crow On The Wire.