Based on recent research
(which means a cursory listen
to a five-year-old podcast)
I have discovered
that cockroaches
are worse suited to survive
a nuclear holocaust
than I had thought.
Obviously, there is little evidence
to support how they would do
in an atomic blast
as few experiments have been done
with that in mind
but it is believed
that roaches would fare poorly
in a nuclear winter.
It’s just not their kind of neighborhood.

So even though
the roaches seem to have a pretty good time of it today
I would like to
as of this moment
formally rescind my previous claims
of loyalty, fealty
and servantry to our insect overlords.
I had sworn to them
all of my scraps and morsels
come the dissolution of bipedal civilization
but now
I’m not so sure
that I should put all my eggs
in a roach basket.

I may just go back
to investing in rat futures
or consider a crocodile comeback
or possibly have a little hope for humanity.

I joke, of course.
Something’s gonna change
but I just don’t think it’s a lock
for the roaches anymore.
Prove me wrong, dudes.
The gauntlet’s thrown.