rats

beneath the scummy sidewalks
and outside this stone's steamy center
a community steadily prevails,
their worm dieth not
rodents scurry about in the urban underground
whizzing around, colossal and chrome
splashing amongst roaches in the waste of the city
pregnant with passengers
they whine and moan coming to each stop
spilling their offspring out onto the streets above
only to beckon their babies back into the womb
conspicuous transactions take place between tattered cloth critters
with beady red eyes like leaches
rapidly preying on exposed skin
they lick their chops
each seed tucked tight within itself
in the spot for which they fought
battled off the old and weak
only concerned with blood, money or crumbs
to feed their growling gut
for living or dead, the movement never stops
zipping to and fro
stop to stop, belly to belly
and the innocent ones return to their little mouse house
but after enough time, whether they want to or not
ever mouse becomes a rat
an inhabitant, a parcel
of the creepy caverns
rumbling under pedestrian feet
and coughing misty breath through metal grates
on the cold cement surface