grand palace of united creatures
stage to the supper of presidents and kings,
finest foods the forest could provide
cutlery shone on butlers jacket
and in their finery they arrived
stoat,
weasel,
ferret,
mole, badger and toad,
to eat and speak confidences made
treaties broken amended and signed,
it would be a glorious affair
trumpets and choir,
long oak table shone,
voices hushed as speaker spoke
in long oration,
nodding and quietly assured
they waited to speak there turn
as fine turnip soup was served
laden with cream and pinch of pepper,
toad wanted to be center of attention
without his contributions all others
would fail,
badger muttered under his breath,
too many times when the others had
been awash he had bailed them out,
mole was pleased with his display
all seemed so merry
without fox who stayed away to
the east snapping grumpily at
his pack,
blackberry wine flowed
differences appeared
it declined as dessert appeared
your just a stoat someone shouted
badger roared overturning table
seed cake rolled
as food fight ensued old hatred emerged
mole hovered in the middle
watched as all crumbled about him
anger consumed as reddened faces
spat angry words,
tomorrow there would be war
someone would be overthrown,
and what of mole
confused in his coalition with
the silent absent owl
should he return to the
underground creatures
that adored him,
not knowing how to stave off
economical collapse
or tidal surge of opposition
meekly snuffling
into a hand stitched handkerchief
knew his days would end in
prison
Helen Ward
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