What was the general reaction to bats in your home? Did you ever sprint after the nocturnal flying creature with a broom, slippers, and pans?
According to old wives’ tales, bats were seen as malicious creatures sent to spy and create chaos in households. Hey, do you know the bat was/is part of God’s creation? Hmm! Or what do you think?
Meanwhile, King Bat thought it could fly into a home and live in peace. The poor, emotionally intelligent creature’s entrant would throw families into a hysteria.
Fiam, fiam! Adults swatted brooms, books, and slippers around, huffing and puffing, even cursing.
Huh sai! Bat, the king, would fly from room to room, dodging all “bullets.”
But he couldn’t dodge it all as one targeted hit would knock down naughty B.
Once the household police pinned it to the floor, everyone would let out a sigh of relief as they watched it tied to the newspaper stake. Burned it to ashes.
Read the short, humorous poem below on the battle against King B.
***
1. The B barged into our home
one night with gusto
Garbed with hand-wings, it buzzed around the room
“I’m B-fur, king of the night, here to play.”
“No, you’re unwelcome, back to sender!”
We sprang with brooms. Slippers. Newspapers
Curses and yelps shook the room.
“You can’t abide here, brutish-witchery-talon uh ah aha.”
Swish, woosh the broom!
Fiam, fiam, fiam! Newspapers and slippers swatted around, huffing and puffing
Huh sai! B-fur buzzed from room to room, dodging all
but one knock, and it landed, with a yell and sent to the beyond
“Be warned B-fur entering our domain.”
We wrapped B-fur in newspapers
Bound to the stake, B-fur burned in dancing fire
“In burning, you become ashes and dust, not a wing to prove your existence,” We chorused with glee.
It’s remains we disposed of, very far, no chance of it being seen.
2. In our excitement, we forgot on the fifth day God
created B-furs
saw it was good,
placed them in the sky,
a night-loving being.
Moonlight tales and bedtime stories have misguided us,
we labelled B-fur a bloodsucker
That nocturnal
living under the blue curtains
was well created for His good pleasure
serving the Lord’s earth.
© Updated in 2024 Enobong O’wunmi.
