Poised halfway up the wall, the gecko watches me.
He can hold a pose for hours but if I approach, he’ll flee.
He has a translucent skin and is as shy as a maiden,
With large black eyes like those of sci-fi alien.
Tiny hooks on his feet allow him to defy gravity
And the stunts he pulls would make Spider-man weep with envy:
I’ve seen him climb on glass and run upside down!
(Ladies and gentlemen, here’s the world’s climbing champion.)
As a nature lover, I only kill creatures that are edible (or deadly)
So the pale lizard has nothing to fear from me.
Unlike those noisy pets, he’s as silent as the Statue of Liberty
And while I scribble my poems in the dead of night he protects me
By preying on mosquitoes which I consider an enemy.
I’d like to say, ‘Thank you,’ but every time I reach out,
The clove-footed little reptile immediately takes flight!
I don’t know why I give him such a fright
But I can’t really say I blame him – if I were gecko
And a giant hand reached out for me,
I’d also scuttle up the walls for safety!
He can hold a pose for hours but if I approach, he’ll flee.
He has a translucent skin and is as shy as a maiden,
With large black eyes like those of sci-fi alien.
Tiny hooks on his feet allow him to defy gravity
And the stunts he pulls would make Spider-man weep with envy:
I’ve seen him climb on glass and run upside down!
(Ladies and gentlemen, here’s the world’s climbing champion.)
As a nature lover, I only kill creatures that are edible (or deadly)
So the pale lizard has nothing to fear from me.
Unlike those noisy pets, he’s as silent as the Statue of Liberty
And while I scribble my poems in the dead of night he protects me
By preying on mosquitoes which I consider an enemy.
I’d like to say, ‘Thank you,’ but every time I reach out,
The clove-footed little reptile immediately takes flight!
I don’t know why I give him such a fright
But I can’t really say I blame him – if I were gecko
And a giant hand reached out for me,
I’d also scuttle up the walls for safety!
(c) Alex Nderitu
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