Spotted Lanternfly
written by: River Joy
i did my duty today
squished a spotted lanternfly
under my foot
because they are
invasive
destructive
wrong
I did my duty
but invasive implies introduced
and introduced implies interfered with
and they don’t have opposable thumbs
or a pre-frontal cortex
each time i kill one of those
tragically beautiful creatures
i am doing my duty
i also wonder about the human instinct
to destroy
with permission
when we are given permission
to other
I did my duty
when we are rewarded
to other
I did my duty
we tend to relish in it
why do we relish in it
is our power so imaginary
that we choose not to see the complexity
of a situation
because i will walk a spider out of my home
but i will also get out of my car
to smush a lanternfly
the difference
to most of us
is permission
but they did not ask to be here
and so when my foot comes down
i can’t imagine it not
being a twisted metaphor
for acceptance of cruelty through permission
of someone above us
giving us the green light to hate
maybe we secretly don’t mind
kindling that weird violent flame
that lives in us as humans
and i know this started as
a relatively light hearted comparison
but it’s not light hearted
it’s fundamental
it’s something we have to work consciously to change
and no, i don’t want you to stop stepping on
lantern flies
they are still invasive
but i want you to think hard about your
intention while doing so
don’t kindle that violent flame
it’s one humanity should have blown out
a long time ago
- Spotted Lanternfly - May 16, 2025
