I’m highly allergic to wasps and bees.
They are as dangerous for me as snakes.
Bees, wasps, hornets – I’ll kill any of these
flying close, using whatever it takes.
My back porch became home to colonies
of wasps that were building nests in two places.
I swore to slaughter them without apologies,
to bring true horror to their little faces.
Through the door to the porch into the fray
I boldly went, fly swatter in right hand,
bug spray can in my left, to make them pay
for their setting up house where they were banned.
A cloud of toxic mist engulfed the birdhouse
where the first colony’s nest was inside.
A parade of wasps hurried out. To douse
them all with more spray directly applied
was my plan … until they headed for my head.
Like a scared mouse I turned and rushed away
into the house as they circled overhead.
My first assault surely had gone astray.
As I watched, one by one the mad wasps flew
to their house’s opening, only to be
repelled by the bug spray. That’s when I knew
the battle had turned in favor of me.
The wasps soon scattered, flying out of sight.
I returned to the porch, swatter and spray
ready. Each wasp came back alone to fight.
A dose of spray rendered each wasp my prey.
As the wasp fell writhing on the porch’s floor,
I hit it hard with the swatter and then
stomped on it, killing the thing I abhor.
Times like this make us feel like Manly Men!
With this strategy of spray to first scatter,
then pick off each lone wasp, I decimated
both nests, filling the porch with wasp splatter.
The victor, I danced as I celebrated.
I grew up getting stung and bit by all manner of nature's creatures and plants, and suffered no allergies as a result. While I have killed nests of yellow jackets and other nuisance creatures and plants, I try to avoid using insecticides and other chemicals with long-lasting affects and don't get any pleasure from killing any of nature's creatures, even when it's a necessity.
Dear readers, this is my third book of poems, and inside are a special collection of what have turned out to be not only MY personal favorites, but also the favorites of many of YOU. Some of these have never been available in print before...
Michael D.
Ron