Roaches Cockroaches

speaking of budding writers - i started young myself. i write short stories AND poems. (yeah, surprise! she writes, draw potraits AND create poems!) but none of those mushy poems with deep metaphorical meanings ok - just downright silly and fun like about bugs. or sometimes about scary folks like aliens and vampires. or just normal things that i enjoy like rainy days and books.

i would like to share with you a piece that i wrote when i was in form 1. it was published in the new straits times' teen pull-out, The Youthquake september issue.

"hello, sayalah leman the lipas tapi saya bukan pet society azi, ok"

Those Darn Roaches
by syigim

roaches, cockroaches
you creepy crawlers
you invade my toilets, my walls and my drawers
when will you stop?
ain't you gonna flop?
or do i have to squash you with a mop?

roaches, cockroaches
aarghh! stay away!
my money ran out to buy tons of bug spray
i'll pray and i'll spray
to keep your civilization away
but you plan to stay and bug me each day

oh roaches, cockroaches
have you no feelings?
i want to eat my pudding
but you've crawled all over it this morning
each time you apppear
i'll scream out in fear
you even scared my cat Gemuk, whom i love so dear

roaches, cockroaches
can't stand it anymore
ok you win, fighting you has become a bore
i'll move out tomorrow
don't you dare follow
what's that up my leg? roaches in a row!!!

got roaches?
do you have roaches scurrying about in your kitchen once the light is switched off? do you hear yucky rustle of cockroaches once you switched on the light?

here's some preventive measures i found from discovery kids website. very amusing and useful tips.

"ooh la la, my favourite garbage sandwich with maggot infested salad.."

cut down on their food supply
you will leave less food for the roaches if you:

• vacuum or sweep the floor after every meal.
  
• wash dishes in soapy, hot water to eliminate all traces of grease.
• keep trash in a tightly closed container.
• store unused portions of chips, cereal, cookies, flour, sugar, rice, etc. in tightly sealed plastic containers or large glass jars with screw-on lids. man, i just tie 'em up with a rubber band.
  
• after a pet has eaten, remove their food bowl and sweep the floor.
• don't walk around the house while eating. try to keep all your crumbs in one room (less cleaning for you). oh oh, i do this!
  
• don't forget to clean crumbs from under appliances daily.

make it hard for them to hide
if they can't hide, you can get them. so:

• take your recycling out promptly; avoid letting old food cans, stacks of newspapers or magazines pile up.
• there are a wide variety of products available to help get rid of roaches.

dry up their water supply
like humans, roaches can go much longer without food than without water. to keep roaches away, keep them thirsty.

• fix dripping faucets.
• pour some Lysol into toilets at night to make the water undrinkable.
• don't over water house plants. soggy soil is a delicious cockroach cocktail.

keep them out!
to prevent roaches from migrating from your neighbor's place to yours, seal up common roach entryways.

• fill holes where pipes disappear into walls with steel wool.
• pour a little Lysol down your drains nightly to discourage roaches from crawling up into your sinks.
• keep sink plugs over drains.

hope it helps get rid of those darn roaches!