Happy Poetry Friday! This week’s poems are playing over at my friend Tabatha’s blog!
From the posts I’ve read lately, we writers have all been ruminating over fresh starts, new goals, and OLWs. (Note to self: stop calling them OWLS. You are not at Hogwarts.)
I interrupt these deep, philosophical musings to tell you my home has been invaded again. Normally I’m quite hospitable, but these visitors are not welcome, in spite of the fact they inspired a short poem. My colleague, an MSU Extension entomologist, suggested vacuuming them. I did not tell him I hardly have time to vacuum my carpets, much less my unwanted house guests.
I’m using my poetic license to drive past the fact that my tiny travelers are technically Asian lady beetles, not ladybugs. Get the scoop on the differences here. (Can you imagine calling a cute little lady bug a “lady cow” or “ladyclock”?)
![By John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA (Thirsty Lady Bugs Uploaded by russavia) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://kerirecommends.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ladybug.jpg)
Ladybugs!
by Keri Collins Lewis
Ladybugs, ladybugs everywhere!
Crawling in the attic,
flying through the air.
They think our house
is their winter lair.
Ladybugs, ladybugs, ladybugs!
***
In unrelated news, it feels like winter in MS. Which means water mains are breaking in Jackson, all of our faucets have been dripping incessantly to prevent freezing, and loads of people are complaining. I’m using the cold as an excuse to make more soup, drink more hot tea, and go to bed early. Planting daisies . . .
“Winter lair” — perfect! It’s too bad you can’t get them all in one room and just refer to that as the “conservatory”! Soup, tea, and sleep sounds good 🙂
Fun!
And I have to say, I wish I had your problem!
Dear Kerri,
Fun poem!
And I have to say, I wish I had your problem.
Jan
I have heard about these invasions, but luckily haven’t experienced one. We have had stinkbugs and bees. Vacuuming is not a good idea when they release an awful smell when traumatized. I enjoyed your cute little poem. Stay warm.
Stinkbugs!? Yuck. We receive several calls each year about bees that have invaded homes when they swarm.
Oh, I remember these in a house or two, and even here we had a convention inside the screened front porch once. Well, I like your approach to take any challenge and make a poem out of it! ;0) And yay for jammies and hot tea.
Maybe they were coming in for a glass of sweet tea and a ride on the porch swing!
It’s hard to imagine those cheery ladybugs as a problem…but oh, I know first hand they can be one!
Yikes! I didn’t know lady bugs would do this! Good luck!
I really came over to tell you how much I love the “Red” poem you sent to Linda. Red is my favorite color, but I don’t usually associate it with winter. Now I will! Thanks for helping me see the world in a whole new way!
Thanks, Carol! 🙂
Here in NH, I found a ladybug on the window last week (before our below zero dip) and was tickled pink to see it! Do you have gray walls? The ladybug gatherings we get up here in the summer are on gray walls and buildings. It seems the little ladies like gray.
Khaki brown walls but it seems many people find them on gray. I’ll have to do some research with our entomology department!
I was going to ask about gray too. We find bunches in the warmer weather on one gray wall at school. I’ve had two invaders in our extreme cold around Christmas – mice, not flying but jumping! I didn’t think to write a poem, sadly I only wanted them gone! I guess you do, too, Keri! Your ‘winter lair’ must have ‘bug bait’! Thanks again for the poem & gifts. I forgot to let you know that my post was a thank you!
Maybe your mice need to meet Bridget’s snakes! As someone who lives in the country, I am familiar with the mouse migration to warmer climes as the temperatures drop. The bugs are usually in the attics (their natural preference is for a cave) but they end up in the kitchen window. Our walls are khaki brown.
Love your poem, Keri! I had an experience with a ladybug invasion when we lived in Madison, WI. I got the heebeegeebees reliving my invasion memories. Now that we live in Tucson we just have to deal with snake invaders. LOL! = )
Yikes! Thanks for the reminder that there are harder situations to deal with than ladybugs!
Oh wow, I didn’t realize they were called Asian lady beetles – what a difference a name makes. 🙂 Hope your visitors leave soonest.
I hope you haven’t vacuumed up too many of the ladybugs yet, Keri. They are a symbol of good luck in many cultures. Sounds like you’re at the beginning of a very lucky new year!