The Scorpion and The Cockroach
It was in a cleanly washed jam jar that Frank put them in,
he wanted to know which would survive, which one would win.
The scorpion wasted no time as it arched its back and struck,
but the cockroach quite unaffected, for a way out it did look.
The roach disliked being attacked and tried to climb the jar’s side,
but the glass was too steep and smooth, and so it couldn’t hide.
Repeatedly it tried to climb the jar, but it fell upon its back
and so the scorpion launched another ferocious attack.
The cockroach tried desperately to become upright once again,
as the scorpion’s venomous tail tried to strike the roach’s brain.
With a flick of its sturdy wings the roach became upright,
but still it didn’t resist attack, or put up a fight.
The battle weary scorpion grew tired of attacking its foe
and ceased hostilities at least for a moment or so.
But then the cockroach became hungry and had a desire to eat,
so approached the scorpion and nibbled at its feet.
This act of war enraged the scorpion and so it attacked again,
but the roach never flinched and gave no sign of pain.
The scorpion was exhausted and couldn’t attack any more,
it collapsed breathing deeply on the glass jar floor.
The roach attacked the tail the part with the deadly sting
and severed off a large piece to show who was king.
As the ravenous roach gorged itself on the fresh food supply
the scorpion panicked and gave escaping another try.
Frantically running around the jar at high speed it went
until it suddenly stopped, all its energy was spent.
Meanwhile the busily eating cockroach paid it no mind
this scorpion was going nowhere until mealtime.
poem by Orlando Belo
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Related quotes
Hermana Alacran
Fool who knows not of Romance Language
There is a language of strength and power
She came out from the dirt covered in jewels
With hips that can leave man in awe
She came with a heart set on grandeur
I come from the scorpion family
I am a Sister Scorpion that is my name
Loyal until the end to my creed
Why is it that in this world I am allowed to do this?
Why do I know exactly what’s wrong with this bliss?
A Utopian Society would be full of secrets and lies
The scorpion sister would know and she would find cries
You see in Spanish there is a saying that goes
You are crazier than a scorpion
Estas más loco que un alacrán!
Here is my bilingual play on words
This is written in orange ink on my heart
I am a Scorpion Sister; I’m the freak in the family
I believe that now there is nothing left to hide
I believe that if you have an ego, you have issues
I believe that I am not a queen, I am only a sister
I am a Scorpion Sister, a darling, and her majesty
The Sister Scorpion who is loyal to the creed forever
Sister Scorpion will attack, bite, and sting you
I have only to say “beware” to anybody who is a traitor
The sister will save you, because I’m the one
The Sister Scorpion keeps fierce in the world
Trust in the wisdom of the ancient scorpion
Tail at arms to always inject my deadly poison
So venomous, I am a scorpion, a creature from dirt
Nobody will know of me when I die later, but dirt
I am a scorpion, a creature of poison and of death
I am a scorpion and if you see me lose your breath
A queen and a sister, I am the new queen
I am the scorpion sister, the queen
Don’t mistake me for a clown
I am a Scorpion Sister
La Hermana Alacran
Bring me a child to baptize
In water from a river of Hell
Because my people have a fire
Strength inside their hearts
That is nowhere else on Earth
The queen dressed in a gown
With a thousand layers
And a meringue made of orange silk
Sings out to traitors and to hatred
She sings out in fierce anger to life
And the new queen is reigning
With strength with peace, and life
May the people know she is so grand
¡Trae me un niño para bautizar!
¡En agua de un rio en infierno!
¡Porque mi gente tienen un fuego!
¡Poder en sus corazones que!
¡En este mundo no existe!
I am the sister scorpion, small but proud
Small for now
I am the queen who calls herself Hermana Alacran
I am the queen who knows she is only the sister
She vanished back into the dirt
After killing the old queen
With a look in her eyes you will be in flames
And know how to dance like a crazed scorpion
She vowed to return as the queen of the world
So the Ancient Mexican Desert Legend says!
poem by German Alcala
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The Scorpion
My life, is everything, that feeds my thirst - like other's sin
My wants, are all I care, no shame or guilt - there's nothing there
Look deep into my face, I sell disease, without a trace
Fear not, but I can do, unless you, want it done to you
As I climb onto your back, I will promise not to sting
I will tell you what you want to hear and not mean anything
Then I treat you like a dog, as I shoot my venom in
You pretend you didn't know, that I am a scorpion
My self, and sentiment, there's nothing else, there's never been
My dream, to be left alone, where does sadness - the madness I'm on my own
Look deep, into my soul, its black as coal - like a bullet hole
Fear not, get off your knees, there's no defense - you'll do what I please
As I climb onto your back, I will promise not to sting
I will tell you what you want to hear and not mean anything
Then I treat you like a dog, as I shoot my venom in
You pretend you didn't know, that I am a scorpion
As I climb onto your back, I will promise not to sting
I will tell you what you want to hear and not mean anything
I will treat you like a dog, as I shoot my venom in
Cuz you knew all along, I am a scorpion
My lies, to rest assure, I agonize - at nothing more
My hopes, to steal away, all that you love - I'll soon betray
Look deep, into my past, the pain I deal - is unsurpassed
I'm not, a lowly scorpion, I'm so much worse - I'm the fall of man
song performed by by Megadeth
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Put a tiger in the gas tank.
a meal of knuckle sandwich and humble pie
krupa could make swiss cheese out of Roach
If he can catch him that is.
Roach is burning in the ash tray
while Krupa is burning up the drapes
Roach is in putter around outer space
he places your finger on the pulse
Krupa is like an octopus arms all over the place
Roach is like an electric eels embrace
Roach knows foreplay but krupa surprises me
just depends on my mood I guess
poem by Jerome Moore
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Another Season Has Come
First time they came to us
They came to up with peace,
Later they broke our peace into pieces.
They told us thaw they would tame
The tiger for us, but used it to
Fight against us and destroy us...
Those decorated demons...
Now the time has run like peregrine falcon
Another season has come.
They are now around again
To buy a little peace we have,
To put us in darkness again
To punish us with their scorpion,
Their satanic scorpion.
Another season has come
they are now around again
To play us, to call us Ostriches
Folks, are we truly Ostriches?
My God rate us from their hands
You devil's advocate.
poem by Ejalonibu Abraham
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Caseworker Takes Notes
I was there the day
there trickled down the wall
of an old man's room one roach
that stopped across
a canyon in the plaster till
the old man's elevated slipper fell.
The roach absorbed the blow
and as though perforated for that purpose
dissolved into an archipelago.
The old man looked at me
and patiently explained, 'Despite my
constant smacking of its brethren
one roach each day will trickle down that wall
and pause and pose as if to say,
'Go ahead and smack me, that's okay.' '
To take advantage of the archipelago at hand
the old man pointed toward the last palpitating island
and once again explained,
'Each roach I smack, you see,
offers me that same good-bye-
one last flicker of antennae.'
poem by Donal Mahoney
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The Strangest Creature On Earth
You're like a scorpion, my brother,
you live in cowardly darkness
like a scorpion.
You're like a sparrow, my brother,
always in a sparrow's flutter.
You're like a clam, my brother,
closed like a clam, content,
And you're frightening, my brother,
like the mouth of an extinct volcano.
Not one,
not five--
unfortunately, you number millions.
You're like a sheep, my brother:
when the cloaked drover raises his stick,
you quickly join the flock
and run, almost proudly, to the slaughterhouse.
I mean you're strangest creature on earth--
even stranger than the fish
that couldn't see the ocean for the water.
And the oppression in this world
is thanks to you.
And if we're hungry, tired, covered with blood,
and still being crushed like grapes for our wine,
the fault is yours--
I can hardly bring myself to say it,
but most of the fault, my dear brother, is yours.
Trans. by Randy Blasing and Mutlu Konuk (1993)
poem by Nazim Hikmet
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There is poison in the fang of the serpent, in the mouth of the fly and in the sting of a scorpion; but the wicked man is saturated with it.
Incompatible....
when you show up
i will not be there anymore
i am the moon
and you are the sun
you are the sky
and i am the scorpion
things shall resume only
when you are finally gone
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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The Strangest Creature Of The World
you look lıke a scorpion my friend
you live cowardly ın darkness like a scorpion
you look like a sparrow my friend
you are in the haste of a sparrow
you look like a mussel my friend
like a mussel closed and comfortable
and you are terrible my friend
like the muzzel of a volcano
your number not one
you are not five
but unfortunately there are millions of you
on the world
you look like lamb my friend
when well clad cattle dealer with cloak
raises his baton
you immediately join the herd
and proudly
you run to the slaughter house quickly
that to say word by word
you are the strangest creature of the world
you are stranger than the fish living in the sea
but do not know anything about the sea
and in this world
the tyranny overwhelms the world for the sake of you
and if we are hungry
weary and if the blood is shed sparıngly
and if we are pressed and pounded fiercely to yield our wines
ı do not want to say that
and though ı do not intend this
but it is a reality
most of the faults are yours
behold it
and learn this learn
my dear brethren
Nazım HİKMET
translation Metin ŞAHİN
poem by Metin Sahin
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A scorpion never stung me but I cured myself with its grease.
We keep an eye on the scorpion and the serpent, but we do not watch out for the millipede.
He who has been stung by the scorpion is frightened at its shadow.
Because we focused on the snake, we missed the scorpion.
Scorpion by Talile Ali
in the mirror
there a face
i dont recognize
anymore
it is so different
from who i am
i sometimes wonder
whatever happened
is the glass warped
was it all a dream
am i delusional
am i insane
the scorpion crawls within
the crevices of my mind
revealing who i am
to me
and it's frightening
that i ever
became that which must be
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Copyright © 2009
poem by Talile Ali
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Gazing At The Japanese Painting Of Katsushika Hokusai...
the scorpion claws of the
sea
have again claimed the lives
of more than
ten thousand Japanese...
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Being a good friend of a scorpion doesn't mean that you can't be stung by a honeybee.