DH Lawrence had it right – the mosquito has no worth,
He sucks man’s blood as a baby sucks his mother’s milk from birth.
But a mother gives her milk with love to nurture and to feed.
Not so the mosquito, who fills his belly for no reason other than greed.
He does not announce his arrival there by giving a hungry cry,
But lurks up silently at dusk, fearing, if seen, that he might die.
His touch is light, his bite is quick, he feeds but does not stay,
For there’s no time to waste before he seeks out other prey.
If you should find some specs of blood splashed upon your wall
You can be sure the reason is that the beast has paid a call.
And some poor victim’s thrashed about and whacked him with a swat,
To end the bloody ne’er-do-well so all that’s left’s a dot.
The one’s that have the speckled legs have on their backs to give
The from which their prey can very rarely live.
In stagnant water they make their homes to harvest that lethal thing
Which they administer, devoid of care, with just one fatal sting.
O God, you made a marvellous world for which we give you thanks,
But now and then you made mistakes, or were you playing pranks?
The Mozzie does no good at all, causing man to kill most foul.

Kate Dyson