I promise that my name
is not Gregor Samsa,
has never been and never it will be,
yet I sense
resentment oozing in your eyes
every time,
I click my pinchers.
or probe you with my sensitive antennae.
Once my skin had hardened
to a shiny shell, black as gold,
I was convinced
you couldn’t hurt me, I felt invincible.
but any vertebrate is helpless
lying on its back,
and my upturned belly is now
an open wound. My blood is black.
Now I am
a metaphor of sleepless self, formed
to be reformed. I’m putty in your hands.
Maybe — tomorrow
you will let me wake me up as jellyfish.
The prompt by Shay at toads made me think of Franz Kafka and Metamorphosis, and I could not help trying to use that in my poem.
—
September 21, 2017
Björn Rudbergs writings 
This was very imaginative. To add to the metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa is also a band from Virginia formed in 2000.
I like that you would wake up as a jellyfish!
Now you just have to avoid being arrested and put on trial without knowing the charge! 😉
An imaginative shape-shifting poem. A jelly-fish sounds normal…. please continue….
“Oozing in your eyes…” the assonance of this life be alone is worth the price of admission! Bravo!
Every bit as off-center as the inspiration you imbibed! Well done.
“my upturned belly is now
an open wound. My blood is black.” … I like that.
wake up as a jellyfish … Yes. I might let you.
❤
Beautiful metaphor. I played Gregor’s body in a play once and wrote about it in a piece also called Metamorphosis. We all long for this transformation. Good to know we aren’t alone.
Wonderfully grotesque!
Cheers!
JzB
Dark and delicious. But if I find you crawling about in my kitchen, you are getting stomped.
Interesting poem, Bjorn. I like waking up as a jellyfish. At least I have a stinger to greet the world. LOL!
This is deliciously dark and enticing! 😀
You’ve evoked the spirit of Kafka in your poem – and then some, Bjorn. I love the lines:
‘…I sense
resentment oozing in your eyes
every time,
I click my pinchers.
or probe you with my sensitive antennae’
and
‘but any vertebrate is helpless
lying on its back,
and my upturned belly is now
an open wound. My blood is black’.
The final lines are killers!
Now I am
a metaphor of sleepless self, formed
to be reformed.
This elicited a big WOW! from me. Amazing stuff.
We have leaf miners on our lemon tree. I have now idea what they will become, a moth of sorts I suppose. Of course, like our youngest granddaughter says, “Google knows.”
On the human side, anytime after three I can be awakened.
..
Wow…so Kafka-esque…disturbed even.
So creative! Love this “Now I am a metaphor of sleepless self, formed
to be reformed.”
This is just wonderful, Bjorn, a new favorite. I am not sure jelly fish is an improvement but at least expressly porous to the world. Thanks. k.
You’ve certainly opened your minds eye to this prompt and produces another fine read………………
Now I am
a metaphor of sleepless self, formed
to be reformed. I’m putty in your hands.
Maybe — tomorrow
you will let me wake me up as jellyfish.
Amazing the zoos we warden husbanding our shame.
Every day someone/thing new…I like that idea. Great illustration too.
kaykuala
Little creatures or even humans often wish they can be something else. The grass is greener syndrome extended to cover perhaps some feelings of inadequacy
Hank
Like Toni said that’s a dangerous change, you can get stomped on. Nice write Bjorn
And thanks for dropping by to read mine
much love…
Interesting.
Horrors! But well played as ” metaphor of sleepless self”!