Steampunk Soldiers
by
Radiance Angelina Petro

I.
There were spider-cricket tracks
in the lavender powder that had drifted
down to the dark, hardwood floor
in the bathroom, after I had sprinkled some
in my underwear the night before.

I got down on my hands and knees
to get a closer look. Not only were the claw tracks
visible, but I could see where it’s absurdly-long
feelers swished back and forth, scanning
the area ahead.

II.
If you go outside, there’s a two-hundred-year-old shed
built into the stone wall. If you open it, you’ll see dozens
of spider-crickets, with their humped, armored
backs, and they’re long hind-legs, on the ceiling
and on the walls, and if you stand long enough, one by one,
they drop to the ground, and in a few moments
they’re gone, assembled somewhere I’m sure,
like an army of steampunk soldiers, planning
to see who goes in next to scout the Barn.