Never Say Die!

Watching a movie ('Walking Tall')
I spied a cockroach on my wall,
crawling in and out of sight,
the proud homeowner's sorry plight.
Now I see him, now I don't,
a creepy feeling, and I won't
feel better till he's dead and gone,
considering it a job well done.

The kitchen was my battleground,
I chased the bugger round and round,
('persistent' was the name I christened
my thick-skinned antagonist,)
for dodging footfalls he'd survived
the era of the dinosaurs,
avoiding conflict he'd outlived
the perils of unnumbered wars.

Tired and soaked with perspiration,
craving his elimination,
I, with magazine extended
dealt a blow, his life was ended.
Or was it? Wriggling in his death throes,
wiggling several sets of black toes,
on his back he scarce could right
himself to carry on the fight.

Yet more he fiddled, then was still,
an adversary with a will,
he lay quiescent on the rug,
that bold defiant little bug.
I left him shaken, (his demise 
beyond salvation?), then my eyes
beheld no insect, just a stain,
for he'd crept off to scare again!
Copyright © | Year Posted 2009

Poem

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Fraser Avatar
May 31, 2009 at 7:19 AM
Great poem Keith, these little blighters would survive an nuclear explosion, one of the few animals/insects that would be first to re-appear. Quite incredible>James
Crane Avatar
May 4, 2009 at 8:54 AM
I can't tell you how much this made me laugh! Bloody marvellous all round and going in the favourites! Kat x
Richards Avatar
May 3, 2009 at 2:14 PM
Makes me think of the movie that came out last summer "Wall-E " where the cockroach was about the only living thing left on earth! Yep...they are tough little devils!!
Chircop Avatar
May 3, 2009 at 1:00 PM
ow myyy cocroaches even the name makes me sick,this is scary,i prefer to see a lion then a cocroach,sometimes we meet cocroaches in human shape,those are worst and we have to beware and i love the title-never say die--thats optimistic,we fight till the end,never give up----wonderful my friend---charma
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