Hiking is my avocation—
but not too far from my home.
No darkened caverns, because that’s doom…
keepin’ where they sun has shone.
I’m keepin’ where the sun has shone.
But they crawl, awful ticks that appall.
Squall and bawl, if an ugly tick on me should fall.

I’m back in my habitation.
Doff my duds…to shower-roam.
I dry off and I leave the bathroom.
See something that makes me moan.
Many expletives I intone.
There it crawls! There is an ugly tick on the wall.
There it crawls! There’s a bloodsucking tick on the wall.

I hit it—again and again go my beats,
but it seems impervious to pummeling;
I’m furious. So I apply some heat,
with a torch flame that’s blue-red.
It ends badly.