Invertebrate Fallout!

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Wed, 09 Apr 2025
  • 391 reads
11 comments
 

She took out the book,
for so long untouched –
out fell a page which had loosened
oh, how had it got so full of rot?

– And look! … what’s come as well? …
a glimpse of silver,
swish and skitter,
fish-like darting, wriggling slither,
tiny harmless insect flitter;
(cringe, shriek, shiver!)
hiding quickly from our view
– rather, from our switched-on light –
silverfish that glide at night.

Disliked lodgers little matter
if they number just a few,
that can little damage do,
find a grain of starch or two,
or a crumb upon the floor,
nibble up a bit of glue
from a book that’s far from new,
but if many bide,
find a humid place to hide
nourishment for tiny chew, soft bite –
left for long, produce a sad, decaying sight!

[IP: You pick up an old book, and a piece of paper falls out …]

based on an old piece https://www.abctales.com/story/rhiannonw/silver-swish

 

Certificate U
Poem
Nature
Nature
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Another good IP response - thank you Rhiannon (with a slight shudder)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. It's funny, for they are seemingly harmless, but their sudden movement when a light switches on does have that effect! the odd few are pretty ubiquitous I think! Not as irritating as slugs coming in through discovered holes! Rhiannon

I don't know if anyone is interested, but Staffish Girl did a story on this IP theme awhile ago that was commended https://www.abctales.com/story/starfish-girl/i%E2%80%99ve-got-it-list-0

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you for the cherries. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

"a glimpse of silver,
swish and skitter,
fish-like darting, wriggling slither,
tiny harmless insect flitter;"
this is so full of life! What a wonderful IP response Rhiannon, Thankyou.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Di. Glad you liked it. I thought at first it wouldn't fit the IP and then realised that the damaged page could fall out, followed by the cause of the damage! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Well done, Rhiannon. A very good adaption and improvement of your original submission

Luigi x

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Luigi. iIt was good to have the first work to work on! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Very familiar Rhiannon! But I know silverfish only from the bath. Where they actually come from no-one knows? A mystery to me! Wierd.

Keep well! Tom

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I guess they hide in dark crevices where they can find a nibble, and emerge when it is dark. Funny little cretures though, often gone before you've proprely caught sight of them!Thank you.  Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Stranger than fiction.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

!!smiley