Termites

A poem (my finest work).

The poem below was originally published on October 27, 2025 in my book, Hollow Trophies for Howling Idiots. It will be available again for purchase in Summer 2026.

Termites

No one holds the candle
that’s already burning out
and refuses to cast light upon
the psalms they read aloud

I used to sing for money
now I’m working on my feet
to come home to the termites who
don’t find too much to eat

They fly from room to room before
shedding both their wings
on my dresser and my nightstand
settling between my things

I’ve heard the Scarlet Goddess
and I’ve given her my praise
but the flightless bug is modest
even in its dying days

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“Scott Crain was taught in Broward County, Florida public schools and educated in South Florida bars and stages. As a singer-songwriter, he has long been drawn to stories of the struggle, of love and paychecks that are not enough; of families that work like families should, to a point; of triumph and failure as it is lived in humid, sticky circumstances. Now, he is turning that eye to poetry.

A familiar face on the South Florida music scene, Scott has been a part of a number of bands. His writing mixes humor and indignation, cold-eyed realism and hard-won optimism. He is an exciting young voice whose words thrive on the page as well as they have when coming from a microphone.”

- Erik Petersen

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Copyright © 2026 by Scott E. Crain. All rights reserved. Permission to use this work for commercial purposes requires written consent from the copyright owner.