I don’t want to fight my landlord
over who will pay for bed bug extermination.
I don’t want to feel relieved
when the infestation’s epicenter
turns out to be in the unit upstairs.
Those men are broke enough as it is,
trying to stay clean and sober and keep a job.
Can’t afford a thousand dollars
for liquid CO2.
I want a building, a block, a cityland
where everyone is secure
in a shelter they love
where no one feels pressed to salvage
a dubious mattress
unless they can take it to the free clinic
for thorough inspection and cleaning.
No big deal.
I want to be free and open
to share the pains of infestation:
we’re in this together.
I don’t want to fight my landlord.
I don’t want a landlord at all.
I want a world without them;
bed bugs we can handle.
Kloncke 
the land is lord of all! yaaaaaaaaa communism!
LOL love you aneeta. you and ryan are the best people to be facing this with. <3
Hola sistah,
So, I’m not sure how best to contact you, hence the public comment. I see you went to the Oakland Walk for Choice – right on! On January 21, 2012, we are having a West Coast Rally for Reproductive Justice in San Francisco. Bacorr, SF NOW, WCW & the Silver Ribbon to Trust Women are putting on a day of action in support of access to care, abortion rights, legislation & how to fight back. We have speakers lined up, family friendly activities facepainting & balloon animals for the ninos, an activism space to write letters, network with each other, a speak out stage, music & art projects. We are getting the word out now. I hope you will come. For more details, please join us at facebook.com/wearebacorr or email us at bacorrinfo@yahoo.com. Thanks!
hello beautiful soul. i was googling and obsessing about bb’s (possible we’ll be dealing with them again–woken up with bites a few times and neighbors never truly got rid of them, apparently.) and typed in “spiritual perspectives on bed bugs” and thankfully came across your post. i am in nyc. this is indeed a global issue, and we are indeed in this together. i do believe that being spiritually minded about such an issue is key. i am in a decades old 3 story home, alone (grams is away in the motherland, p.r.) and once again the possibility of these vermin is happening when she’s away (seems like a test, honestly). in any case, your post is beautiful. thank you much for your words, and just knowing that we are all sharing this struggle, is, in itself, a silent gift. blessings to you and yours.
jess, your words are so kind and thoughtful! i hella feel you on the googling obsession (smile). and i love the term you used: “spiritual perspectives on bed bugs.” isn’t it funny how search engines sometimes rewards unusual phrasing?
i hope the situation is getting better for you, and that your grandmother is doing well in P.R., if she’s still there.
in any case, thank you for the warm solidarity from new york!