The Common Woodlouse Poem by Francis Duggan

Behind bark or under wood showing signs of decay
He and his kind from the World hide away
Quieter far quieter than a frightened mouse
The one known to many as the common woodlouse.

An armadillo shaped tiny insect he looks blue to gray
Quite harmless he only lives where there's decay
He seems to be shy of the bright light of day
Amongst Nature's compost quite happy to live and to stay.

Hidden from the rain and the sun and the storm
His own role in Nature he quietly perform
Unaffected by weather or life threatening drought
The living thing few bother to write about.

To find his kind try under a block of wood or a stone
His family are many his type seldom alone
Like most crawling insects their fastest pace slow
And so little about them I can say I know.