A mother lays her child beside her for the night.

Too afraid for the security of a bassinet,

she lays her newborn child on a pillow;

small, yet big enough

to surround the fragile babe.

Having stressed all day

over her freshly given duties

moving back and forth

throughout the cramped, cobweb infested, foul smelling apartment

the new mother forgets, and leaves the wood framed window open

from the brutally hot August day.

Before she lays her head down,

a pain reaches her sides and then down below.

To relieve the pain she takes a single pill

given to her by the doctor who took care her daughter.

As the wind blows through the hot summer night,

the vermin of the city dance;

all the while a mother is too far gone to wake.

The rat’s claws begin ripping at the concrete,

mouths salivating at the chance of a feast.

Seeing an opportunity at last, they race up the side of the building

where a mother has just laid down to rest.

On the first floor of the building

where a mother lies down her head,

the scum of the town begin to feast.

Chew marks begin to form

as the rats enormous incisors naw at human flesh.

Their teeth fall deeper and deeper into her flesh,

drawing blood with every bite.

Not knowing of the monstrosity that surrounds her

the new mother dreams,

as her child screams.