Repellent

SWEET BLOOD
Kevin Young

Like stars the mosquitoes
swarm. He's gone. We sit

unscreened on the porch,
my father doused

in bugspray, that sweet-sick
stank. We drink

because my father's father be buried,
because the road will not carry

anyone but cousins, or neighbors
whose silhouetted and dust

we know. We drink.
Only son of an only son,

I do not share
my father's sweet blood--

what draws the skeeters
near him, braving the repellent

cloud, his quick hands, for a taste.
Finally my father gives--

I'm getting eaten up--
and heads inside

slapping red his legs.
Somewhere by the highwayside

my grandfather rests, his body
vaulted in ground that does not shift

we hope, or give back its dead.
We drink and forgive

the bugs who come for us
with dusk, who draw blood

the way we swallow
thin beer and words

like love--in order
to survive.

from Kevin Young's Dear Darkness
recommended by Derek Williams

A LIST  OF  MOSQUITO  REPELLENTS  IN  DECLINING  ORDER  OF  EFFECTIVENESS
Adam Stone


The word Off
Your white noise interpretation of an aerosol spray can
Soft skin
Humming the bassline to Too Much Blood
Driving with your windows open and listening to talk radio
A wedding ring
A tattoo of a candle on your inner thigh
Baseball season
Repeating the Apostles' Creed
Restraining order
Refusing to back down on your #AllLivesMatter stance
Eating garlic
Not explicitly inviting them into your house
Reading Anne Rice novels aloud
Burning your body down and having your descendants salt the earth
Flat Earth Theory
Not believing in mosquitoes' power over you
Not believing in mosquitoes
Not believing in yourself
Flatulence
Motivational posters
Grunting threatening obscenities as you lift brah
Wearing a hat
Politely asking them not to invade your personal space
Pointing out how much sweeter your diabetic friend's blood is
Screaming
Waving your hands like you care so much so very very much
Casually mentioning that Mosquito is your favorite horror movie
Slowly surrendering your fly swatter to the ground
Saying bzzzzzt in a mocking tone 
Wetting yourself
Standing perfectly still in a shallow puddle in august daring the disease vectors to bite you