Earthworms

Earthworms

Jody C. Benson

The earthworms came out this morning,
roused by raindrop drums against their burrows.
While withered ones lay like locust pods,
a fleshy one followed the cracks, stranding
itself on the sandpaper pavement.

Its body only felt what it was told.
Herd and migrate—the time to leave has come.
So we pinched that primal creature and tossed
it in the sod. With a twitch and a tremble
it slipped away, to forge a new tunnel.

We were cast too once, strangers on blacktop,
a concrete exile, to bear this mystery.

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Jody C. Benson
Writer & Editor

Jody is a freelance writer and editor. She received her master’s degree in bioethics and humanities from the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is the author of Behold: A Reflection Journal Where Wonder, Creation, and Stewardship Meet. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children. Learn more at jodycbenson.com and jodycbenson.substack.com.

Photography by FT Shafi