Alvin Kathembe
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He wouldn’t hurt a fly
Buzzing, buzzing around
He just watched it
His slipper was within reach
So was the newspaper
Conveniently rolled up
But the only things he was brandishing
Were peace signs.
So the fly, out it went
Through the window
And our man sighed contentedly
“Ah, the Oneness of Nature
And the beauty of Pacifism!”
And he made a fruit salad
Neatly folded his apron
And sat down to eat.
So the fly, out it flew
Out into the neighbourhood
And it called a huddle –
Mosquito came, so did Cockroach
And Rat, as well as Termite –
Heads bowed to Fly’s excited voice;
“Boy, oh boy!
Have I found the PERFECT pad for you!!”
He’d hardly finished
Before they’d all scampered off
Rat in his pitter-pattering feet
Mosquito zzzzzing away –
You’d think he was sleep-flying –
Cockroach scrabbling away
As Fly screamed after them
“Don’t forget, you owe me!!”
Off went Fly, to do the daily rounds
He lighted on the stray Cat
And picked up some Bacteria
He passed by the sewer
Gave a lift to some Amoeba
Flew straight into the septic tank
Walked all over the brown marshland
And gave a ride to some Cholera.
Back he flew to the house again
The fruit salad half-finished
Fly saw a peach or two
Or perhaps it was a date?
It rather looked like his favourite
Left back stewing in its putridness
He didn’t know people were into that now
And he stopped to investigate.
“Now, now, don’t do that,” said our man
Wagging a spoon disapprovingly.
“Get out of my bowl, Brother,
That’s a good Fly…”
Fly only scratched his head
And proceeded to walk about
“…Go on now, I don’t want any trouble.”
And Fly flew away, disgusted.
There were doctors everywhere soon,
And Public Health Officials
And poor Rat – poisoned
Cockroach – fumigated
Mosquito – that damn treated mosquito net
Zapped him like an electric fence
And Fly, wise Fly,
Knew that the game was up.
On his way out,
He overheard our man
Talking to his brother –
“Man, I used to be a Pacifist bro
I wouldn’t hurt a thing
Till the cholera, and the rat infestation, and the cockroaches –
Now, dammit, I keep a slipper nearby
And when I hear something a-flying and a-buzzing around –
I take UP the bloody slipper
And SMACK that mother –”