Peter Midgley is an award-winning editor and the author of several books of poetry, children’s literature, non-fiction, and plays. He lives in Edmonton, Canada.

“A truly form-defying collection, Eaten by White Ants is a deeply embodied project of language reclamation, containing images and phrases that won’t soon leave its readers. The long poem “20/15” calls to mind Jan Zwicky’s recent chapbook Say It in the way it lays out its brutal, relentless accounting.” Laurie D. Graham

• PrefaceA Note on Language, Pronunciation, and TranslationALL CATTLEexercise #1 (in the beginning was the word)dungain the beginning was the wordexercise #2 (the plants, and all the trees)kambethe plants, and all the treesexercise #3 (they are his servants now)u-Nothwal’ impahlanathey are his servants nowexercise #4 (a cow was given)zemka (yakha’linkomo)a cow was givenexercise #5 (a cow is slaughtered)nanga amathole entlantlanaa cow is slaughteredexercise #6 (this cow)akuko udlela eyiyimbi-na?this cowexercise #7 (we get many things from the cowhide)qondawe get many things from the cowhideexercise #8 (a real person)jingaa real personexercise #9 (all the colours)ikhonxhaall the coloursjohannes theodorus van der kempFAMILY TERMITIDAEsnowy sheathbillloosing the mooringsriviervallei / river valleycourting disasterthere is a mandreunbergdie eerste roos / the first rosedie hart van 'n duif / the heart of a dovechildhood memoriesom ‘n vis te slag / to gut a fishheartsongmy love’s body / my lover se liggaamthe blood on my fingertipshomecan the bones help? mountains of my youthon the naming of things (the taxonomy of letters) baviaanskloof mummythe problem with knitting an aardvarkcoyoteremember methere will be winddie siel van die mier →the soul of the white anti. (blessing be)ii. (the translation)the lies words tell as they jump from tongue to tongue …iii. ([mis]translation)iv. (erasure)v. (translating erasure)EATEN BY WHITE ANTSmap—eaten by antswhite ants stealthe wood-fretterbook, eaten by white ants (haplography 1) the fisherwoman of Luombakahow my ear keensthere is no stonewords, eaten by white ants (haplography 2) uteli (cotton)would that this tonguethe soul of the white antgrounding linewords, uneaten (haplography 3)ABACHITACHITAWEYO (THE SCATTERLINGS)walking, windchill -37°CSurah 67, Ayah 1let’sHMS ErebusHMS Erebusfor those dying of democracyafter the Jasper fires, 2024new words I have learned (that I wish I never had to)old words I have remembered (that I wish I never had to)عقدة قتالية : euqdat qitalia : a combat knotgallaקשר חלה (challah)sharp-shinned hawkimpafamigrant thoughtswindthe white pine bonsaian old order mennonite (and me) on the traintoronto metro, feb 202320/15JanuaryPolice investigate shooting in parking lot…two were injuredFebruary04-Feb-15, Frederick, MD#blackinamerica23-Feb-15 Daytona Beach, FLAprilin the school library, 13 april 2015Israeli settlers attack…#blackinamericaApril 16 (J.B. Martin Middle School…)April 27 (North Thurston High School…)Police reportMay24-May-15 Flint, MIaugust 27 (savannah state university…)September (Sacramento Blues) Sacramento Blues14 sept (Cleveland…)Sept 30 (Harrisburg High School…)OctoberThere have been more…taking stockL’envoielementary mathwapenstilstand / ceasefirepeaceAcknowledgementsNotes