Two more stanzas for the “Parenting” poem
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010iii. The Blood Meal Up to four males have been found feeding on one female Ixodes holocyclus tick… Innate imperative: Seek a host, dig in, and swell, and wait. The males, spermatophores with legs, don’t even feed. Or shouldn’t. Their stubby mouthparts useless on a mammal host They climb aboard their mate’s immobile bulk: [...]