The words are new to me, at least in this context. It makes me think of the proverbial caterpillar, inching itself along upon the blade of a knife. Every forward move sunders his corpus further.

But maybe I'm just tired. Regarding critters, I don't mind death, but I mind suffering (i.e. euthanasia is preferable to a slow or violent death, such as from injury or disease). I'm trying not to apply that to the human animal as well.