Ode To A Cockroach
 by Teri Sharp
I see a cockroach, and am reminded of an earlier time,
When I crept on insect legs through primordial slime,
Scurrying to avoid the dinosaur's feet,
Skirting the caveman's fire, scavenging in the soot.
Seeking shelter in the mouth of a dead soldier;
Crawling into coffins to dine on moulder,
Surviving all cataclysms, whether drought or flood,
War, plague, hurricane, or a slide of mud,
Snowstorm, tornado, even insecticide -
No matter the threat, I'll find a place to hide,
And lick my wounds, and venture forth seeking a bride;
Reproducing effortlessly just when you think I've finally died.
When germ warfare has wiped man from the earth
When nuclear bombs leave no woman to give birth,
When nothing remains but a vast wasteland,
I shall be found, crawling on God's hand.
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