The Queen of Slugs

Of all that in this world is soft
And dull and slimy as can be
No neck to hold her head aloft
But oozing sluggish vanity

She crawls upon the mossy bark
Of some long dead and rotting tree
No perception of light or dark
With protuberant eyes to see

Along a black dung beetle comes
And flashes his big ball of dung
A tune of beetle love he hums
The queen by Cupid's arrow stung

And while the creatures large and small
Know well the beetle's full of s**t
She marvels at the stinking ball
And loves him and admires it

They proudly reign and force their will
Upon the lesser worms and slugs
Their self respect to smite and kill.
And console with their contrived hugs

And what if they his will defy?
Or hers, why must that be a crime?
What can he do but pace his sty?
And she can only ooze more slime

A scorpion came in search of food
And saw this couple run the show
And saw the lowly subjects brood
He softly smiled and he did go

For far away from filth we must
Our lives enjoy under the skies
Let wretched beetles rule in dust
In hunting slugs no honour lies

Reviews

[Sara]

haha, okay, to be honest, my first reaction to this poem was along the lines of 'ewww, this is gross!' :D i'm not really a nature-y type of girl, and bugs usually have me running and screaming in the other direction -- but, that said, i still think this is a charming little piece -- you did a great job bringing in a lot of humor to some rather distasteful topics (in my opinion)... i really loved the line 'a tune of beetle love he hums/the queen by cupid's arrow stung' LOL... anyways, i think it was adorable how you personified the insects, they all seem like quite the characters ;) and it kind of reminds me of the saying 'they're more afraid of you than you are of them' -- giving them human traits to make them more relatable... as devons said, they're probably some human equivalents here lol... great job, augustus, i always really enjoy your lighter work! :)

[Tomás Ó C..]

"In hunting slugs no honour lies" - in honourless pursuit the gardner often indulges!!! Throw an eye oer mine at http://www.writingsinrhyme.com and tell me what you thing in the guestbook - Ie a few old ones on WritersCafe as well

[deeps]

i think this is cute, wonderful write.

[Devons]

Very potent piece of writing, and extremely effective. There is an ugly beauty in the words and subject used that is very impressive upon the psyche. It reminds me somewhat of Animal Farm, except the creatures are far more repulsive, less obvious, and without sympathy. Clearly there is an analogous theme here which is universally recognisable, though subtle. It could indeed relate to any kind of human situation, and there is a sense of politics and social satire. I think there is a clear human equivalent for each of these creatures which is strongly identified. The fact that the poem deals with such repugnant examples of life makes it all the more powerful in the sense that it brings one to face an unpalatable truth through the vehicle of art. Any prejudice that exists within the reader's mind is absolved somewhat by the affinity we share with flawed beings. This is a much more realistic approach to my tastes: so many people are incapable of finding beauty and inspiration in dislikeable subjects, but there truly is much in all.
A top quality piece of work which I greatly enjoyed. It has an openness which allows the reader to interpret and imagine freely, enforcing few demands on the thought processes. The skill and delicacy of the poetic form is professionally-honed, and each verse is of a high standard. There is also a trace of humour which speaks with blunt clarity but still retains strength and depth. Extremely well written and conceived, with a resounding conclusion.

[Abdul Aziz]

LOL! This is one of the funniest poems I've ever read at the Cafe. Pure genius, my friend!
You did somehow find a message in all that humor, didn't you?! I envy you for that, man!

"Along a black dung beetle comes
And flashes his big ball of dung
A tune of beetle love he hums
The queen by Cupid's arrow stung

And while the creatures large and small
Know well the beetle's full of s**t
She marvels at the stinking ball
And loves him and admires it"
Those two verses are, no doubt, pure genius, through and through.

I don't think I'll try explaining how much I liked this poem.

This is the second perfect rating I'm giving your poems!

[Fabian G. Franklin]

What a fabulous and fun piece of poetry. I enjoyed this immensely. We used to pour salt on slugs as kids just to see them writhe in agony and die. No honor in that at all I'm afraid. lol