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on how I set them down and then they quarrel
in a row at meal time                                       and fly off
and whatever I call them                       their bastard names

are not as given and they do not return
change all on their own                           how dare you do that
how dare you do that after all I’ve done to prepare you

you do not do your limping god justice       small beasts
come back to me                    from your guesting in other headspace
your gremlin conduct reflects lame parenting

perhaps were they treated more fairly
they might not have gone so thoroughly out and away
in ill behaviour          perhaps my palace of ice was too warm

too cold       and if you tell a bad word it is so       as I did
it will behave as a bad word           quarrelling all the while
with those either side         above       or kicking

through beneath                      in universal challenge
perhaps a few tips on handling them:
it is often that they are required to do one thing

and do another quite purposefully
or puke up the gruel you feed them                         chucking it
all around               so don’t feed them

it is certainly better they were born                    just
but such conduct is not the way it all should be
perhaps we should ask them where they want to go

and what are they supposed to say or dobut I asked a new one
just recently           pleaded             it pelted out enigmatic cubes
from the ice box                                                grinning

till the whole damn place was covered
and slippery   and still I pleaded        ‘what are you supposed to say?’
and it kept mum