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