Muscular coordination doesn’t always come easily.
I am a muddled millipede;
Which leg is next to go?
With a hundred* legs on either side,
It’s really hard to know.
It’s easy for you humans,
I see you’ve got just four:
One to stand on, one to move,
And two don’t touch the floor!
It takes a lot of practice
In leg coordination
So we can run away from prey
And avoid extermination.
I’ve got a long way still to go,
But I’ll get there in the end,
And then I’ll help clear up your garden,
For millipedes are your friend**.
So please be kind to millipedes.
Remember, if you see
A millipede not moving,
It’s muddled, just like me!
* Roughly – most are in pairs. Certainly not a thousand!
** Well, sometimes, anyway. They feed on rotting vegetation, but if it dries out they’ll go for living plant material instead.