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Poetry of Issue 9: Uprising

Uprising

In the schoolyard

A group of kids

Throw bottles at the wall

A tiny cat comes across their path

One grabs it by the tail

And hurls it in the air

A shriek of terror cracks the night

Three kids laugh with total glee

a fourth turns away

That’s no way to play

if the cat had a say

That’s no fun

It would rather run

Instead it sent out a squirt of pee

The kids set it free at once

making bully look the dunce

Gross! he said

Look, I’m all wet

The pit bull down the block barked out its support

The mouse in the kitchen formed an alliance with the cat

The police horse threw off the cop on its back

The porcelain monkey swung off the top shelf

While the parrot in the penthouse kept saying,

Look I’m all wet

A thieving magpie swooped down

snatching the tiara from a bride’s blonde head

Rats jumped up from sewers

stealing burgers and donuts out of people’s hands

Animals came from everywhere

to form their own bands

One tiny cat shrieking triggered off this?

Never lick the hand that feeds you

Always bite it

If you pet me I will scratch you

I will eat what I want when I want

I will give you a bowl of milk

See how that feels

Nice of you to let me run outside

Ride on my back and you will be on the ground

Rebellious creatures all around

Though most still purr and fetch the ball

ignoring nature’s call

What goes on?

Pride of the Zoo

Giraffe Andrew

held his head high

Said, Ask me

Nothing I can’t see

 

by Robert Roth & Jens O. Magnussen

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