The Beetles and the Birds
By Archaosa Shiva

There's a far away place
Where there's not much space
For all of the creatures to live.
It's an island unfound
with bugs on the ground
And the birds from which they all hid.

Beetle clans number high
but there's four in the sky
Of bird clans that hunt them all day
The seven clans on the ground
Try hard not to be found
So they don't become a buffet!

The orange horned beetles were huge
they said "This we can use!
We can fight those murderous birds!"
So they prepared for war
Against those that would soar
"We'll kill every one of those curs!"

But one just gave a sigh
"If you fight you'll all die
but just listen to my advice
If you fight all as one
the war may yet be won
if you don't, then you'll pay the price!"

This one beetle was old
And the young ones were bold
But they listened to what he said.
"All the clan's, we'll unite!
And they'll help with the fight!
and soon all the birds will be dead!"

The first clan that they heard
being killed by the birds
had big butts of purple and black!
"No, we won't fight with them
They all have weird rear ends!"
So they watched them die and fell back!

The next clan they came by
could all fly in the sky!
Though the birds caught them in mid-air
"They're perverse!" They exclaimed
"See them fly without shame!"
So they watched their deaths without care

The third clan, they could smell.
"oh no! that stench is hell"
The stink bugs were fighting their best!
Orange refused to come close
As they thought the smell gross
So they let the birds eat the rest!

The Bubble-Bop Boppers
Were all full of hoppers
They'd jump and then bounce when they fall.
"These bugs seem way to dumb
They just fall on their bum!
It's best if the birds eat them all!"

They clan was a sight
It gave them a great fright!
Body bugs from corpses are fed!
"They're deranged! They're insane!
They eat bodies and brain!
It'll be best when they are dead!"

The last clan they would find
were marked by a shine!
Each tiny shell seemed like a jewel
But their beauty drew ire
So they let them expire
As they birds ate them all for fuel

So the Orange-horns went home.
"We will fight all alone!
Our numbers will still win the fight!
Other clans are all wrong!
we are right, and we're strong!
We don't need the other clan's blight!"

So at dawn they prepared
for the foes from the air
'Which clan will we fight?' they wondered.
The huge black feathered crows?
Or the ones with pink toes?
Quiet birds, or those who thundered?

They did not wait too long
For the sky darkened at dawn
As bird numbers blocked out the light.
T'was not one clan they faced
but four, flying with haste!
All the birds had teamed up to fight!

Birds of mixed size shade
Some were bright, and some grey
Swooped down on the one beetle troop
Every bird was well fed
And soon all bugs were dead
And all looked the same as bird poop


Penned by my hand on the 16th of Scarlatan, in the year 1001 AF.