I show no mercy

to the housefly on my book—

splat! it’s dead and gone!

Just in time for tea,

a housefly lands on the rim

of my steaming cup.

On my clean, white plate

a monstrous housefly settles,

interrupting lunch.

In a shallow tray,

heaped with sun and oranges,

a housefly settles

Three days past Easter

the housefly in my bedroom

makes itself at home.

Housefly

Summer afternoon—

a housefly circles and lands

on the bald man’s head.

first housefly of spring

squeezing its way through a hole

in the kitchen screen

just in time for tea

housefly settling on the rim

of my steaming cup

Mark M. Redfearn