"SANDFLY...SANDFLY...WHERE ART THOU?" JEFF PHILLIPS

 Austrosimulium australense

Hemophilius Bloodtuckeris

"SAND FLY, SAND FLY…WHERE ART THOU?"

Sand fly, sand fly, where art thou?

Hiding in yon shady bough?

Waiting for the cool of eve

Your next extractions to conceive?

Sand fly, sand fly, bite me not,

Behold the welts that you’ve begot!

Sand fly, sand fly go and bite

Another friend onto alight!

Sand fly, sand fly, I love you,

You’re God’s creature, pure and true,

You need blood ‘cause it’s your tucker,

Yet bless another with your sucker!

Sand fly, sand fly, seek in vain

A hidden artery to drain,

Our corpuscles live in fear

Of your tiny pointed sucking spear.

Sand fly, sand fly, biting hard,

When it comes to blood you’re no retard.

To feed your insatiable appetite

Our hemoglobin’s your delight!

Sand fly, sand fly, all around

How your numbers do abound!

Sand fly, sand fly, dining late,

May our bloods coagulate.

Sand fly, our sweet reddish bumps

Resembling chicken measle-mumps!

A, B, O, we’ve many kinds

Of bloods: your menu resource finds.

To comprehend, I cannot tell

If it’s blood or skin you like so well;

Fat or lymph or maybe sweat

Makes up the diet you have et!

Sand fly, sand fly, on my knee,

You’re my friend eternally.

Sand fly, sand fly, on my neck,

Ouch! That hurts, yo, what the heck?

Sand fly, sand fly, in the sky,

Draining us until we’re dry,

Until our blood clots hard and thick,

And you’ve had enough to make you sick!

Winged vampires, you’re so dear,

Drilling platform: please stay clear!

Attacking from within your cloud,

Dracula would yet be proud!

Sand fly, you’re insect ancestor,

But please don’t help our bites to fester!

For you this place a sanctuary,

But stay away from my capillary!

Yon wee avian parasite,

To many people you’re a fright!

You and mozzie in collusion

To perform another dire transfusion!

Mobile blood-banks we are to thou,

Our real purpose, here and now,

For us to become what sand-fly lacks,

A race of hemophiliacs!

Sand fly, sand fly, where art thou?

Hiding in yon shady bough,

Waiting for the cool of eve

Your next extraction to conceive?

JEFF PHILLIPS

JAN-FEB 2019

GOLDEN BAY NZ