Ladybird, Ladybird (Poetry)

Oh, Ladybird, Ladybird — dragon-so-small —
drop-of-blood on a leaf rarely noticed at all —
but a demon to aphids — your fierce scarlet shell
a carapace forged in the furnace of Hell.

Up close you’re real scary — your monsterous face
bristles with mouth parts — a hideous case
of utility foremost — your features recall
some old Hammer movie — not pleasant at all!

To other bugs, maybe, you’d seem a fair mate
with your red and black armour and six-leggéd gate
and you climb like an acrobat — scramble with ease
through the jungle of sedges scaled up high as trees.

But you just don’t belong here — you’re alien to
the landscape of England— and not ‘passing through’
but a sly creepy crawly invader who flies —
we have counted your spots and seen though your disguise...

While you merge with the natives those spots give away
the fact you’ve no business to think you can stay —
so be off with you now! — There’s a spell that is old —
in traditional words it is chanted — thus told:

So, Ladybird, Ladybird fly away home —
go back where you came from and nevermore roam —
’though your cousins may live here, your holiday’s done —
it’s soon Halloween and high time you were gone!