Mourning_Dove_2006

THE RATS

ONE WOULD NEVER
HAVE KNOWN
FROM THE LOOKS
OF THINGS,
FROM FOGGY NIGHTS
IN EARLY SPRING
AND SUMMERS
FULL OF WILY PINGS,
THE HAPPINESS
FROM VOICES IN
TUNE,
PARTIES IN JUNE
FEATURING MASTER
GUITARS AND
NEAR FAMOUS ROCK
STARS, AND
SCRUMPTIOUS EDIBLES
LACED IN AND OUT,
THE SOFT SMOOTH
BREEZES, THE AERIAL
SNEEZES THAT COME
FROM POLLEN
AND JOY,
THEY WERE HIDDEN
BEHIND THE LUSH
GIANT BUSHES,
SET WAY BACK
AGAINST THE TRACK,
NEVER TO BE SEEN
OR HEARD, EXCEPT
PERHAPS DURING
THE DEAD OF NIGHT,
WHEN UPON AWAKENING
THERE WERE LITTLE FEET
SCAMPERING ON THE
ANCIENT ROOF,
I THOUGHT IT
WAS THE NIGHT
BIRD, WHO SANG
NEAR MY WINDOW
SWAYING AWAY
AND SLEEPING BY
DAY,

BUT ALAS
IN THE SPLENDOR
OF MY INNOCENT
DREAMS, THE RODENTS
WERE PARTYING
NASTY AND MEAN,
CAMOFLAGUED
BY FOLIAGE AND
SKILL,
FROLICKING
STEALTHILY
DRESSED TO KILL,
THEY SHOWED ME
REMAINS ON THE
DAY I DEPARTED,
SAD AND CONFUSED
AND SO BROKEN
HEARTED, TO THINK
THAT THE RATS
WERE SHARING
MY SPACE, SNEERING
AND LETHAL, THEY
LAUGHED IN
MY FACE,
IT’S A STRANGE
WAY TO END
A LONG RUN OF
DREAMS, BUILT UPON
STARLIGHT
AND FIXATED
SCHEMES,
THE MEN SENT
THEM SCURRYING
OVER THE HILL
FAR AND AWAY
TO ANOTHER
BIG CHILL,
AND I TRAVELED
ON TO THE PLACE
I CALL HOME,
WONDERING HOW
I COULD EVER
HAVE KNOWN,
AS I TIPTOED
ON FRAGRANT
GROUND, THAT
THE DANGER
AND FEAR
WERE ALWAYS
QUITE NEAR,
THEY WOULD
HAVE ME FOR
LUNCH, (PERHAPS
IN A CRUNCH)
BUT SOMEONE
WATCHED OVER ME
AND LED ME AWAY
FOR ANOTHER FINE
LIFE AND
THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY,
IT TRULY HAS
FLUMMOXED
AND BLOWN ME AWAY,
NOW I SING WITH
THE DOVES,
FULL OF PROMISE
AND LOVE!

©J.W. WINSLOW 6/1/15