11: 13 P.M. Poem by RIC BASTASA

now that i have fed all the mosquitoes
i think, i must
go to sleep, and this is the last poem
for all the female mosquitoes
that i have
loved before
and still love
tonight

all of them
have sucked
my skin
and all of them
are now
silent

contented perhaps
and so happy
that there is still
a man
as generous
and understanding
as i


on said gesture
i can now
have my sound
sleep

good night, my darlings
may you give
birth
to a thousand baby mosquitoes
tomorrow
morning

may all of you
spread my genes
manyfold
like the sands
in the sahara desert