Spotted Lanternfly

We’ve been told on the news
and government websites.
If you see one, kill it.
 
Use a swatter, a shoe, a rock.
Anything handy.
 
If you find eggs,
smother them in a plastic bag
with hand sanitizer.
 
We discuss this calmly
on a pleasant summer day
when an insect dressed
in pretty spotted wings
tiptoes across our picnic table.
 
It looks pinkish, I say.
Very recognizable, you say,
as you take off your sandal
to do as we’ve been told.
 
They’re invasive, not native, a threat
to all the fruit trees we hold dear.
 
We’ve done our part, you say,
as you use a dirty napkin
to scrape up remains.
 
Dropping the evidence
in the trash, I hope
one day we won’t regret
deeming this delicate creature
an unworthy pest.