The Cockroach

The cockroach hides in the shadows,

He scuttles across the floor.

Checking if the coast is clear,

He disappears behind the door.

The pesky humans have killed most of its kin,

He is one of the surviving members,

Never forgetting the time when

His cousin got burnt by hot embers.

He spots a few delicious crumbs lying near the table,

There is a moment’s hesitation,

Those crumbs would last him for a long while,

He cannot resist the temptation.

He darts behind the table leg, focusing on his food,

He doesn’t hear the loud thundering sound.

Suddenly, the floor gives an almighty shake,

Too late, he turns around.

A little girl is staring back,

The cockroach is frozen with fear.

He braces, and says his prayers,

But the little girl does something queer.

Her eyes fly wide open, she lets out a shrill scream,

The cockroach, panicking, quickly flees.

He stops after putting a distance between the human and himself.

He almost had a heart attack; he can’t believe he is alive.

He settles down next to a few pictures upon a lofty shelf.

He lives on for a long time as a cautious and paranoid roach,

He passes on his story from generation to generation,

From then on cockroaches lived discreetly and with precaution.

This is how they saved themselves from near extermination.