Ode to Megawa

(In Memoriam)

Cambodia’s mined killing fields

find Megawa,

a great pouched landmine-sniffing rat,

harnessed, at work.

He scratches the soil and sniffs,

handler happy.

 

Megawa’s unaware of death,

legless children

lucky not to be blown to bits,

if that’s lucky.

Trained with a click, a scent, a treat,

twenty-eight finds.

 

Not one miss. He likes to be scratched,

a heroRAT.