Cymothoa Exigua, or the Tongue-Eating Louse
by Laura Bandy
Cymothea exigua extracts blood through the claws on its front, causing the tongue to atrophy from lack of blood.
The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue by attaching its own body to the muscles of what remains.
-Wikipedia entry
One, the louse vampires your tongue, sucking
all the blood out until you're left with a stub, schmuck.
Two, surprise! Something alive is in your mouth,
a small clawed body latched and playing house.
Three, this is your life now, a raw and altered state.
Those carefree ocean days are over. You've been made great.
The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue by attaching its own body to the muscles of what remains.
-Wikipedia entry
One, the louse vampires your tongue, sucking
all the blood out until you're left with a stub, schmuck.
Two, surprise! Something alive is in your mouth,
a small clawed body latched and playing house.
Three, this is your life now, a raw and altered state.
Those carefree ocean days are over. You've been made great.
Laura Bandy hails from Jacksonville, Illinois, home of the Ferris Wheel.
