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We were young once
When the sun shone upon us.
We have witnessed every mistake
Every battle, every cart and wattle fence.
And all you rabble
Squabble, possessive of goods
Grain and meat.

We are rarely welcomed in
We wait outside.
We all live together
But rarely collide, with you.

We are never too far way
Under your feet.
And each day we are rarely
Six feet away from you
And your kin.
We live close to your door
So we can sneak in.

Ten thousand rats
On Rathlin I hear.
How the farmers wished
To kill each rabbit with ferrets.
So they asked the ferret to stay
Only to create a more difficult hoard.
We may be next
With poison, dogs and guns.

So where can we run or swim
To escape the needs of the  human?
More dangerous and needy
Than the rat.
Greedy, canny creatures
And at their worst
They often seek your vote
Signature and pin number.


The rat will never harm the earth.
We’ve been spinning on this ball
Since the ball was young
And we will never be number one.
You will be “numero uno”.
And whereever you go, we go.
Until you squander your position.

So it is our mission to watch and to wait.
Eat off your plate and blow our nose.
Hang aound for our turn, I suppose.

For once the humans  have all gone
We will sun ourselves upon your lawns.
Come out of the shadows
And up from the drains
Expand our wee empire
(Just like Britain, all over again.)
Grow fat and content
Not bent to politics.
We can put up with some parasites
And the odd little tick.

We’ll flick our wee tails
As every day runs.
We’ll never have kings
Or banking or guns.
Investment is only to have
What we need.
And each of our babies will grow
Like a seed.

The much maligned rat
Will outlive your kind.
You’re rarely that thing
And if you don’t mind . . .
You’re blind to the hatred
You plant in the world.
The wars that you raise.
Kill boys and kill girls.
How dare you insult us
The innocent rat
If I had a gun
I’d go rat-a-tat-tat!