An Answer To An Aphid

An Answer toan Aphid

It was, a sparkling summer's day
When I went out, intent to spray
My rose, with garden pride invested,
Which was with greenfly thick infested
But I went to Pull the trigger
I heard a tiny voice, no bigger
Than gnat's or flea's- in fact so small
There hardly was a voice at all
"Keep off" it piped, your nasty stuff
Which kills a thousand with one puff.
To think we here before the Druids -
Are poisoned now with noxious fluids.
Give over your one-sided war.
What do you think a rose is for?
Can you not see its foremost use is
To supply us with its juices?
The swelling buds we like the best,
But we can manage with the rest

There was a time - gone, many a year,
Long, long before you men were here
When greenfly rights were uncontested
We sucked the juices unmolested
Except by these pernicious thugs,
The hover-flies and ladybugs
No surely you can grant a place
For our most ancient, humble race
You cannot surely be so mean
Come on now be more eco-green
Our sins (if any) please forgive.
Put down your spray, and let us live!

It touched my heart this piteous plea.
I'd half a mind to let them be.
But when I saw my rose's fate,
Its buds and leaves in such a slate,
I felt my heart again to harden.
I said "You've done too much to pardon!"
And aimed the spray, and with one shot
I polished off the **** lot.

Interactive poetry. The reader is asked to supply the missing word(s)

John Waddell