From bathroom pipes, kitchen sinks
From inside cabinets, drain and sewer points
The cockroach approaches in a flash of time.
Once sighted, woman gets scared and yelp
A chance for the brave husband to help
And to flaunt his bravery and might.
Seizes the broom sitting at the corner
When the brave man comes with the broom
The sly cockroach is already lost from sight
The brave man hits at every nook and corner
Misses the target, and the mission to kill, fails
Leaves his wife in utter despair and anger.
Finds the pest below the cot and hits it hard
The cockroach struggled but did not die
Broom snaps, pest flees without a trace
Nastiest pest, nocturnal in habit
The insect at its best at night
Rarely surfaces in broad daylight
Finds escape routes to hide from sight.
The insect loves and lives in grime and filth
Ill at ease in open space and broad daylight
Always in hiding and retreating to dark
Pale tan , reddish brown, glossy dark to black
Shades of repulsive colours, gross to look
Notorious for infestations and spreads diseases
Now hogging limelight in media discourse.
Ah! What was that?
I shriek and freeze
Something flew past
I almost dropped.
It wasn’t a bird
Or anything sweet
It had long feelers
And too many feet.
It circled once
Then took a dive
I questioned how
I’d make it out alive.
Its shell was shiny
Its stare was mean
The ugliest thing
I’ve ever seen.
I grabbed a shoe
Prepared to swing
But it took flight.
The cursed thing had wings!
I ran and screamed
Down the hall
Not so brave
Not tough at all.
But fear held me back,
I couldn’t get away,
Hands trembling,
I faced it anyway.
Then I saw it
I stepped in slow,
Still full of fear,
It didn’t move,
But I wouldn’t go near.
I grabbed a slipper,
Threw hard from afar,
Missed on the first,
Then followed up hard.
I raised my sandal,
Gave one last swing,
A nasty crunch,
I ended the thing.
By way of explanation, I recently met Sherry Meinbert, the author of the children's book called "The Cockroach Invasion". I read that book, which I found to be entertaining and educational. Being inspired, what did I do? As you might imagine, I wrote some childish rhymes. I'm not sure the last couplet lands quite right, so I tried some alternatives.
The roach has always left me in disgust,
At the very least, I was nonplussed.
Enter, our own Doctor Sherry,
and a story so extraordinary,
ever since I heard her name,
I'll never look at a roach the same.
the cockroach I would once revile,
I now greet with a friendly smile.
the cockroach I stamped with my feet,
I would now kindly offer a fluffy seat.
now, the worst creature to ever crawl
is not such a bad guy after all.
Now, when I think of that ghastly bug,
I want to give it a great big hug.
I think, for each purpose and intent,
a roach should probably be president.
Cockroach scurries by
on the spongy forest floor
leaf-to-leaf he crunched
It’s just surviving, that’s the way it goes
To live means I must endure over fright
I’m running fast in case I sense the noise
If someone enters kitchen in the night
But soon he’s off, there are some crispy crumbs
Left on the table, so I’m back again
To eat my fill, chasing away the cheeky gnats
I’ll take a sip of wine…cheers, my man!
Regarding food, I trust the master’s taste
When I’m full I think of transience of being
In every crack I know there is a place
A little space for me that has some meaning
My rustling’s barely audible at night
I rummage through your rubbish bin, oh dear..
Pity an old cockroach, don’t switch the light
In this dark room, I eat my crumbs and fear..
It walks as if tomorrow still exists,
legs remembering a map the mind no longer reads.
Habit pulls the body forward,
old instructions echoing in empty corridors.
There is motion without meaning,
industry without direction,
a faithful rhythm learned long ago
now cut off from command.
It does not know it is finished.
It eats no purpose, drinks no future,
yet it moves,
busy with the muscle-memory of survival.
Time becomes a quiet judge.
What once was guidance is absent,
and strength leaks away,
through neglect.
Momentum can imitate life,
routine can masquerade as calling,
and movement can deceive the watcher.
Soon, stillness arrives
as consequence.
A system cannot endure
when severed from its source.
So walks the parable among us:
people, plans, and nations
continuing on reflex,
long after vision has been removed.
Life must stay connected
to what gives it direction,
or it will keep moving
until there is no strength left
to move at all.
Neither despise any man
nor detest anything, even in the sand
For every man has his moment in the sun
everything a purpose in the long run …
Once I thought – but not a cockroach
execrable bug beyond reproach
Yet I've learned from neuroscience podcasters
You can Ai-wire ‘em to rescue victims of disasters
From the corner of my eyes
I snuck a peak,
You always like to play hide and seek.
With a quick overview
I watched you scatter,
Attempting to make you splatter.
With irrational responses, I declared your demise
But the attempts were futile, because of your size
With you in the room
It was stealing my joy
I broke a glass jar and even a child's toy
But you came down from that wall
And very soon I watched you fall
Funny, you were right under my feet
That is where I announced your defeat!
You were hard to kill
But into the carpet your guts did spill
Overwhelmed with triumph, radiating from my face
A worthless cockroach has no residence in this place!
By: Sabina Nicole
Beneath the leaves
One may find
Scribbles of another kind
Written there are hidden truths
Collated by collective roots
Stashed under a different roof
Stored next to a bed of bark
Are twisted tales from the dark
You’ll find something similar to
Gideon’s Bible soaking up the dew
Nuclear holocausts they will survive
Though, these Hotels take their lives
So, if you’re a cockroach checking in
You just may want to find a friend
In Jesus!
Cockroach germs come off their feet
Walking on used dishes with left over sweet
Cook goes after the bug with a yellow broom
Cockroach runs rapidly out of the kitchen room
Cook thinks everything will now be okay
Not knowing the roach laid forty eggs that day
in the cupboard under the kitchen sink
the eggs are cozy, sort of in the pink.
Cockroach was styling, in her element tonight
Wrapping her velvet cloak around her formal tight
The rest of the models stayed out of cockroach’s way
Knowing she will be left standing at the end of their day
The king's pet cockroach, a curious chap,
Swallowed a cat with a mighty snap.
Then it fainted away,
In a bug-sized dismay,
So the kingdom mourned for a week-long nap!
The official name is
Contrails
No more than condensation
The alternate one
Chemtrails
poo pooed across the nation
I can't help notice
months go by
With none in sight
Are we to understand
that
No plane has taken flight
Yet, when they
Return
The skies are cross hatched
Such coverage in true
Journalism
Won't be matched
I've discussed it with
My brother who many
topics broaches
When they return
I call and say
There's sprayin the cockroaches
Said Mr. Cockroach to Mr. Beedle
My body threads the 'Insect Needle'
I'm agile, swift, and how I jump
Mr. Beedle, you're far too plump
Replied Mr. Beedle to Mr. Cocroach
My attributes one cannot coach
I'm sturdy, steady -- albeit slow
My shell protects me from my foes
The debate continues
Hot embers fanned; for
These two rivals' return
To 'in(ter)sectionality lands'
Human beings are displayed beside the dinosaurs
in the museum built by cockroaches...
little did we know when we were around
that they would evolve to become the earth's stewards...
and do a much better job.
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