Came August
the Flea Commander
slapped his walking stick
upon the table bare

surveying his battle plan
testing his jumping legs

assembled before him were
flea battalions on the ground

restless for the attack;
mosquitoes and flies to buzz the air,
giant bedbug tanks from New York
gnats, moths, and crawlies eager for blood to suck

bat sentries, owl look-outs
coyotes to howl signals out
all was ready.

“Now,” he began slowly

"The family in there does not yet suspect
and we must not relinquish to them
our element of surprise.

We don't want them to get a chance to mobilize
until after we attack
and have gained our cache of blood-
surprise before they discover
where our larvae lay,
before they deploy their canisters of Raid
or insect repellents

before they open their bomb sprays
before they wash their beddings

before they deploy their expensive flea sprays
and lethal flea droplets;

we want to hide in their beds, and dig in
we want to hide in their animals fur
in their clothing
everywhere
and before morning we will have established
our impenetrable beachhead.

"So," he said "ready your selves for the strike this night
as they lie asleep."

With that he stood
his flea legs elevating him
above the others, shouting

"Are you with me?"

A roar went up

and I watching from my hiding place
crept away
saying to myself;

"Not this year you suckers
you’ll get your own surprise!"

glee in my voice.

To be continued.