Bugs in the flour,
Bugs in the rice,
Bugs in the garden,
Plus lots of mice.
Ants that are tiny
And crawl everywhere:
One speck of food
And you’ll find them there!
Ants that are big
But only a few,
So I wasn’t worried
‘Til I learned what they do:
Freshly baked sweet rolls,
Who stole a bite?
Those big ants are guilty;
I’m ready to fight!
Now where there are bugs,
There are lizards too —
Not bad in themselves,
Minus all their doodoo.
Bugs beyond number
Attracted to light,
Who fall on my body
While I’m reading at night.
Bugs at the window:
Lake flies galore.
So tiny they fly
Through the screen on our doors.
I didn’t hear thunder,
But it sure sounds like rain!
It’s masses of white ants
Staking out their domain.
This bug’s a cicada
Bigger than my thumb;
No sweet singing voice
Like where I come from:
These giants make a noise
That makes sirens seem tame.
I’d like them to go back
To the place whence they came.
Bugs on the grass blades
As we meander by:
At home we discover
the ticks with a sigh.
And then there’s siafu,
My favorite of all:
They march like an army
Over ceilings and walls.
These ants like to pinch folks
If they get in the way,
But I found out they eat small ants:
No more sisimizi today! *
Even these bugs can
bring good in disguise
And remind me that Jesus
hears my desperate cries!
* Note: Sisimizi are the small ants mentioned in this stanza
©2001 Thrive
View the original print magazine where this article was first published.
