There’ll be many who will call me ‘mug’
For I find I cannot love the slug!
These humble molluscs – slimy creatures
Change their shape, this hides their features.
Perhaps I need more education
To study them with fascination?
I think that I would like to know
How tiny slugs to adults grow.
What do they eat and what do they drink
As they skate about on nature’s rink?
What are their virtues and their sins
When in our gardens or near our bins?
To learn their anatomical diversity
Would one have to go to university?
A simple diagram would suffice
To educate me would be nice!
Of their love life I have read a lot,
Romantic creatures they are not!
I hope some keen ‘Slugophile’
Will write my ignorance to resile.
More knowledge could bring appreciation
By those who lack ‘slug fascination’.
But to study them in detail to perfection
Does one have to house a ‘wet collection’?
So I’ll hope to learn a whole lot more
And forget the dislike I felt before.
Until then I’ll just wait and see
How interesting a slug should be!
Thora Whitehead
Queensland, Australia