Atonement

Poetry Aug 5, 2025

by Julie Hetzel

Is there atonement for the stink bug I killed in 2019?
He did nothing wrong, I call it a he because bugs are he
He didn’t smash easily, it took quite a punch to kill him
I was in a frenzy, an early morning flight to see my dying sister in Tucson, and he
was flapping at midnight driving the cats quite mad
We say the bugs can live outside, but mustn’t come in, then they are fair game,
my home is my castle and it must remain bugged free.
Why don’t they know this? It’s common knowledge!
Now I catch each one and put it outside, probably to die in the cold
What more can I do