vespertilian: adjective – of, relating to , or resembling a bat

Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt is to write a warning label–for myself. So far, my mind keeps going places that are embarrassing. Hopefully, my word of the day will sort this out. I also already have a personal warning label above by office door to guide me through this poem.

original image by Peter Firminger from Wikimedia.org

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Be Forewarned: Expect Vespertilian Behavior

Warning: Do not step, stand or sit on this surface. She is slippery
Even when not wet
Her thoughts, hanging overhead,
may swoop down at any moment

Caution: Hot surface; do not touch;
Extremely flammable
An Aries who flies in the night
emitting rapid clicks of sound

Danger: risk of serious damage
when used inappropriately.
She doesn’t come with instructions
though you wouldn’t read them anyway.
She can be confused by your sounds and mistakenly
smack right into you

Advisory: Not suitable for anyone of any age.
Nothing about this human is safe or
predictable. Do not use; Do not eat; and
Keep out of reach of children
They are sticky sweet as fruit.

I got my bat info and inspiration from Visual Dictionary : Animals (August 2008). I use this reference a lot for design, and have also been using it as a reference for my short story about ornithologists. Here’s an older one that’s less expensive Visual Dictionary of Animals.

If you’re interested in bats, you may also want to check out:

The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammals by Merlin Tuttle

Bats of the United States and Canada from John Hopkins University Press

Happy Reading and Writing!