The Care And Management Of Stick Insects Poem by Pete Crowther
The Care And Management Of Stick Insects
She was a kind soft-hearted girl
but as a child, she said, she kept
some stick insects in a tank as pets,
and every morning with a spoon
she carefully crushed their new-laid eggs;
if not, she said, they bred and bred
then fed like wolves upon each other.
A stick insect with missing legs
or abdomen half gone is not
a very pleasant sight, she said.
That breeding tank becomes for me
an allegory of planet Earth,
where we, like them, voraciously
have nearly eaten everything,
earth’s minerals, forests, water, food,
reserves of oil and coal and gas.
Our tank is overcrowded now,
polluted soil, polluted seas, we’ve filled
it with our mess, and have you noticed
how it’s getting hotter here inside?
Perhaps it’s time kind Mother Nature
came, and cleaned us out, or brought
that crushing spoon, but do not fear,
she surely will, and very soon.
This is a brilliant piece, Peter, how very true this is. The only difference between us and stick insects, is that they move very slowly and sit frozen, no movement at all, and we go careering off, racing against time, never stopping to look or see anything. A sad thought really, isn't it. No time left for us. Loved this. Love Ernestine XXX
I had to agree with Julia K. We human predators have begun to feed upon each other, and, as with any other animal, the youngest and oldest are the first to go. I have often felt this way, but never thought to put it into words as well as you did, Peter. Great work. Scarlett
I feel so sad to admit that you're right...but unfortunatly people nowadays think more about their own comfort and less about the entire planet's needs...maybe it is time, like you pointed, for Mother Nature to start cleaning up the Earth...
Well said Peter. This is an important issue that needs to be kept in peoples minds. It started off sounding so sweet, and I thought it was going to be a wistful childhood memory - and then...! ! I like the way you told it, maximum impact without preaching. Hugs Anna xxx
The saddest thing is that we not only pollute everything around us, but have begun to feed upon each other, we humans, no better than stick insects. Who says there was evolution? Julia
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/22/2024 8:04:29 AM # 1.0.0.1119
If we must face the inevitable, does it have to end with a spoon.Lol.Love Duncan