The Parasite

You’re not a predator. You
Prefer not to kill your host,
Although that preference weakens
If another host is near.

Sometimes you feel tenderly
To the source of your bounty.
Mostly, you just feel hungry.

You come equipped with tactics,
Toxins, and analgesics
To slip you past defenses.

But what most fascinates me
Is how you disarm yourself.
You’ve no idea what you are.
You’re immune to your own life.