Sacra Conversazione

she coils 

beside a mound of soil 

willing the agile alpinists to scale the vertical wall 

and climb out of the bullseye

a scout emerges 

others follow its pheromone-scented trail

they gather at her feet

and speak of a subterranean colony

a social caste ruled by a winged queen

biologically destined to lay millions of eggs

a selfless sterile sisterhood 

tasked as soldiers, foragers and nannies

engineers sculpt chambers for food, waste, power naps and nurseries

and carve tunnels 30 metres long

twice the length of the girl’s school bus

tonight she will slip beneath the sandy surface

her heart pumping colourless blood throughout an armoured shell 

a mandible like human hands

will tuck tiny worry dolls

under their pillows 

to absorb the burdens of survival