By Shem Onderi
In the day, you hide from sight,
Visitors arrive, and you take flight.
I’ve tried to clear you out, but you won’t depart,
You squeeze into small spaces, a clever art.
At night, you emerge, in numbers so grand,
Feasting on leftovers, in this culinary land.
You rest by day, digesting with glee,
Converting food to energy, a sight to see.
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You target stored food, covered and tight,
Leaving droppings and destruction, a woeful sight.
Cockroach, you grow fast, reproduce with ease,
A nuisance to all, a pest to appease.
You appear unexpectedly, when guests are near,
Emanating from beneath chairs, tables, and fear.
You walk past visitors, with an uneven pace,
Disturbing comfort, and causing a frantic chase.
You listen to conversations, then decide to flee,
Before anyone can hit you, a cunning spree.
Oh, the shame you bring, to my house and my name,
A reflection on my help, who’s paid to keep you tamed.
I pay her on time, to keep you at bay,
But you still manage to thrive, and ruin the day.
I suggest a pay cut, or perhaps a layoff too,
For failing to keep you out, and all the trouble you brew.
Tell me, dear cockroach, what meals you adore,
So I can expose them, and serve you no more.
How high can you fly, do you have wings to soar?
Practice using them, and fly out of my door.
Are you edible, what spices make you tastier still?
I want to know your lifespan, so I can prepare for your will.
Cockroach, it’s time to move out, find your own place,
Away from mine, where you can live with your own pace.
But if you prefer staying, let’s live in harmony,
Eat in an orderly manner, and leave packed food to me.
I’ll save it for the future, since you don’t know how to save,
And we can coexist, in a peaceful, pest-free wave.
