Beautiful Millipedes
I dreamed I am a millipede
So beautiful and happy indeed
What genus to be?
Well, let’s see!
Brachoria, Motyxia or Illacme
Each with their own species
Some with colors bright
Some glow at night
Brachoria, with species of 34
Living in the Appalachian forest floor
Colors of orange, yellow, violet, red
Snug under leaves in a burrow bed
Motyxia, bioluminescent glow
In the dark a crawling show
Species of toxic 8
Searching for a cyanide mate
Illacme plenipes, leggiest of all
Rediscovered by Rob and Paul
750 and 666 legs plentiful
Such a wonderful spectacle!
*Poem contributed by the laboratory’s poet laureate and my dad, Bob Marek. When he is not writing poetry, Bob enjoys studying the U.S. Constitution and reading the New York Times. He is also volunteer at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center.
