That August day had gone has planned
Till evening time when jet-black clouds
Brought metal beetles to our land
And scattered panic-stricken crowds.

These beetles fell as soft as snow.
Their tiny parachutes delayed
Their meeting with the ground below.
A light-less night concealed their raid.

We all looked out at dawn's first light.
A thick black blanket lay upon
Each road and roof and field in sight.
The landscape's features were all gone.

This hard black snow lacked winter chills.
Parents watched as children played.
Sleighs and skis were used on hills
And beetle men were swiftly made.

I couldn't share their lack of fear.
I rowed my boat on beetle backs.
I fought the growing festive cheer
To keep my fear of their attacks.

But these small metal insects lacked
All signs of artificial life.
They never moved. This simple fact
Meant songs like 'Jingle Bells' were rife.

I felt great wonder when I found
That no two beetles were alike.
My small row boat made me feel bound.
I'd just made up my mind to hike

When each black beetle came alive.
They moved as one, a metal tide.
I saw my neighbour try to drive
His new car as he prayed and cried.

Many cars were swept away,
As were skiers and their skis.
Children held onto their sleigh
While others clung to trunks of trees.

I tried to row against the flow
Of beetles but I couldn't beat
Their awesome might. I didn't know
Where we would go on their wire feet.

The passengers of this black tide
Were envious of my row boat.
And though I took enormous pride
In my fore-thought, I didn't gloat.

The beetles knocked down poles and trees
And many houses in their path,
Intruding on mid-morning teas.
A startled man inside his bath

Was swept away into the west.
In this we didn't have much choice.
I hoped it would be for the best
And that the journey would be nice.

I came across a woman who
Was clinging to an old oak tree.
She feared she'd fall out of the blue
Into the black, till she saw me.

I steered my boat beneath her feet.
She dropped down from the branch above.
To feel a row boat underneath
Brought boundless joy and looks of love.

I'd brought along some carrot cake,
And tea inside a thermos flask.
We both agreed to take a break
And let the sea perform its task.

Our picnic helped us to relax.
We ate the cake from paper plates.
She told me some amazing facts
About the way the barn owl mates.

She spoke of other birds as well.
She loved to watch them from her house.
She gladly told me how to tell
A common pheasant from a grouse.

She told me all about the day
She drove her mother and Aunt Jill
To see a tall ship in a bay.
They had a great view from a hill.

They looked down on the town below.
From there they saw a theft take place.
Its progress was extremely slow.
The thief tried hard to speed his pace.

But it takes many hours to steal
An organ from a church alone.
He stopped for lunch. He made a meal
Of two small kiwis and a scone.

He stole the organ pipe by pipe,
Despite the people there to pray.
He looked just like the thieving type
With his dark mask and black beret.

They looked down on this crime until
The thief had nearly filled his van,
And then they travelled down the hill
To thwart the thief's ambitious plan.

They notified the town's police,
Who caught the thief before he fled.
The church gave him a sense of peace.
He calmly ate communion bread

While he was being led away.
She said the priest was pleased as Punch.
He practically insisted they
Should join him for a four-course lunch.

She spoke for many hours as we
Were carried swiftly over land,
And when the beetles reached the sea
They didn't gather on the sand.

The metal sea kept moving on.
It disappeared into the blue.
When all its metal parts had gone
We could appreciate the view.

I rowed the boat on gentle waves
While all around us people swam.
Some kids explored the nearby caves
And on the beach their aunts spread jam

On homemade scones they'd brought in coats.
The debris from the beetles' charge
Was used to make some basic boats
And one enormous floating barge.

The lack of beetles thrilled our souls,
A joy expressed in volleyball
Or simply digging useless holes.
A brilliant time was had by all.