*****
Waiting under sink, /
what crunchy morsels do you /
hope to feast on, dear? //
You have a purpose /
my little carnivore friend … /
but do it outside! //
Revolting critter /
scurrying across my floor: /
Get Out Of My House! //
Watching you scurry /
makes my neck hair stand on end. /
Be glad I’m so slow. //
Feather-legged hunter, /
your biggest victim is still /
lil’ terrified me. //
Even your photo /
awakens primeval fears: /
inner alarms scream. //
*****
The common house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata.
Image: Wikipedia.
Love it! Reminds me of a flat I once lived in, in a very old apartment block, where it was impossible for any resident to evict the clan of cockroaches that had taken up residence. I truly believe what they say, that these critters will survive the apocalypse!
After the apocalypse, the centipedes and roaches will be drinking buddies. Well, maybe not. If the centipedes can sink their jaws into the roaches they’ll do so. But the roaches have sheer numbers in their favor … hmm … yep, maybe there will be a centipede-roach truce. Wonder what they would drink? Perhaps this stuff: http://www.arrogantbastard.com/home.asp?cmbmonth=12&cmbday=20&cmbyear=1972.
It looks kind of cute,
Sorry they freak you way out.
Cheap pet eats our crumbs.
Way to face your fears,
In photo search and haiku.
Brilliant you have done.
Cute? Cute!?!
Thanks for the kind words. The Google photo search really did set my hair on end … it wasn’t hard to relive those fears!
Completely understand – any time I do a google search to try and figure out what kind of crazy spider I just found in my house I have pretty much the same reaction. And at that point it’s a double whammy because I just had to usher said scary spider out of my house and then I have to relive it while I’m looking it up. Gross!
In our old house, we would get these horrible spiders every fall… they had a body that was almost the size of a quarter… and they wove huge, wide webs… and they had a yellow dotted hourglass underneath. Thank God they were outside… they look like they could have trapped a small dog unawares. Only spider that ever made me wig out. Have to wonder what sort of programming we have that makes spiders almost universally disliked.
Walking into web,
I am caught unawares and
Swear at that spider
2am here… gotta run!
That sounds very similar to the spiders I’m talking about! Of all the Google searches I’ve done I haven’t an exact match… some of the Orb Weavers seem like the closest.
I think you’re right… they’re very alarming, aren’t they!?!
It’s just the first place I’ve lived where I’ve seen them. 18 years in the desert and I was very familiar with Black Widows, 8 years in San Diego and I was familiar with the little black creepy crawlies they have in abundance, and I move to Ventura County and these orange/yellow/red spotted/striped monstrosities pop up!
[Shudder!] Guess I’m lucky to be in Peeay! The cold kills most of the worst of the stuff. Like today… it was in the 20s with nasty wind chills! Peeay may be boring, but boring can be good. No wildfires, no blizzards, no earthquakes or tsunamis. …. maybe a tornado. But not likely. No gila monsters or scorpions. No tarantulas… yup, boring is good!
Boring sounds lovely.
Just a few creepy crawlies,
Keep us on our toes.
Ha!
I loved this and hate centipedes! lol
Diatomaceous earth kills’em… sprinkle it under sinks and in corners. Of course… the sneaky buggers still get in from time to time… eek!
yuck..
http://knockedoverbyafeather.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/very-inspired/
Thank you so much for the honor! I am very grateful.
Congratulations to YOU on your award!
I already have this and would end up nominating the same people all over again, so I hope you don’t mind if I don’t do another post on the VIBA. BUT, I can answer the questions here for you. (“Oh. Um, thanks”, you say.)
Seven More Things about Jen
1) I am half Polish. Of that Polish, half is Russian-Polish and half is Prussian-Polish.
2) I was born in southern Arizona. Minuteman territory. As such, I will not be visiting for a very, very long time. Sadly.
3) My favorite Beatles song (this week) is I’ve Just Seen a Face. I’m very annoyed that Capitol Records changed the song order on Beatles’ albums. Why? “I’ve Just Seen a Face” was the first song on Rubber Soul, an album I grew up listening to. Mom had the British album … so when I grew up and got my own CD I expected the album to start with IJSAF. Instead, it started with “Drive My Car”. It was like the universe was all wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong!
4) I love owls and hawks.
5) I love Eeyore, but I think Pooh is annoying. As is Piglet. Tigger is okay.
6) I am a frustrated novelist.
7) I can play the hammered dulcimer. A little bit. Okay, a very, very little bit.
Afraid of Tiny Tim? I haven’t heard that before … but … now that you mention it … I can understand! A very bizarre person.
Eeeeeek, they’re so creepy!!
REALLY creepy! I mean, they were designed to be creepy… They have front legs shorter than the back legs so they don’t get tangled in their own legs. If humans traveled as fast (compared to body size) we’d be superhuman. And they can live several years. [oh! I'm creeping myself out!] Thankfully, some “diatomaceous earth” sprinkled under the sinks and in the garage *seems* have stopped them from appearing. But I may have jinxed myself. You know how it is: as soon as you mention how happy you are that something *has not happened*, it will suddenly *happen*. [shudder]