Anarchy

19.8.95

It's anarchy down in the poultry plot
juvenile chickens are rioting round
muscovy babies are out in the field - all over

..with goats on the loose
and they've barged through the fence
the littlest billy - with horns and a beard -
has climbed up a tree
and is eating the tail from the peacock

the guineas are forming a rough-housing mob
and they've beaten the cockerel
and duffed-up the turkey
and now they're advancing to beat up the dog

..and Oskar Kokoschka is in on the act
That gander's attacked every duck I hold dear
and he chases the children
and last week he laid out the postman

The tom-cat delivered another great blow
He's worked out who lays
and now every fresh egg's got a hole in
..no yolk and no white in..

A hole in the head
Yes. That's what I must have
I'm wholly fed up with this slaving about
and there's no point continuing..

..look..the old goat's turned frisky
she's luring the billy and turning her head
and batting her eyes at his sniffing and scenting the air

..and there she goes - off through the raspberry patch -
ungainly with udder all swinging about
but stopping for morsels of raspberry-leaf
and sweet fruit

I lie on my back and I can't see the grass
nor the length it has reached since I cut it.
The sky's turned pale blue and I can't see a bird
nor a goat

..but the fox is awake
and she's crept from the shade
of forsythia branches which root in the lawn
and she's foxily laughing uproarious laughter
to welcome my idleness
tease me to fetch her an egg

copyright 1995 Charlotte Peters Rock

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