Biology Lab- Monday, February 6                                                                                                                                                     Jonathan Mitchell

 

Stepped down glazed cement steps

Off the salted road

Into winter shrubbery.            (desolated)

 

Thin strand-like plant protruded from the dead grass

Salicaceae

In trampled land.                     (alone)

 

A Scaly brown cylindrical growth about halfway up the structure,

On the slender form swaying in the wind.      (out of place)

Fly larvae resided in that sphere.

 

The Professor grabbed the plant and pried its roots from the earth.

The roots in the air, searching for nutrients.    (struggling?)

The glimmer of a knife emerged from the Professor’s pocket.

 

The sharp edge split through the fly’s home, (with ease)

Sawing the sphere in half.

Brown shavings collapsed to the grass.                                 

 

Squirming white larvae suddenly appeared,    (innocent)

Dangling                                                         (confusion?)

Its unprotected skin coated with dirt.

 

Its body stretching upwards towards its wide-eyed observers

Noting appearance and environment

Shoving forward for better views.

 

After the specimen completed its rotation around the gloved hands,

Professor stabbed the sleepy larvae

Then threw the plant on the ground.

 

Biology is the study of living matter.

There was nothing else to study.

We moved to the next life form.