A struggling beetle

Emerging from the toilet

Slides into the piss

A beetle scurries

On the floor; an eye flashes

A shoe thunders down

A hounded beetle

Dashes madly for the wall

Almost, almost, al

A horn beetle rears

Its proud majestic weapon:

It’s crushed just the same

A righted beetle

Fleeing benefactor, falls

Again on its back

In a foul nook

Hides a dung beetle breathing

Single, soundless, safe

Image Credit: Mathews Sunny Kunnelpurayidom

Rotting Silver is a column devoted to this Earth in all its tarnished radiance: poetry, prose, and parables of ugliness alloyed with joy.

This piece was first published at The Witch’s Voice.

The Author

B. T. Newberg:  Since the year 2000, B. T. has been practicing meditation and ritual from a naturalistic perspective. He currently volunteers as Education Director for the Spiritual Naturalist Society, where he created and now teaches an online course in naturalistic spirituality (including Naturalistic Paganism!). His writings can also be found at Patheos and Pagan Square, as well as right here at HP.

Professionally, he teaches English as a Second Language, and hopes to begin a PhD program in the psychology of religion soon.  After living in Minnesota, England, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, he currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and cat.

After founding HumanisticPaganism.com in 2011 and serving as managing editor till 2013, he now serves as advising editor, and feels blessed to be a part of this community.