Food Chain is the Status Quo

Kingfisher, with his swoop-glide stride
like his woodpecker brother,
with his paralyzing call,
he rules.

From the azure necklace
to the regal crest
he holds court at the pond
and the frogs freeze at his command
while he picks them off
one at a time
like barnyard chickens
waiting for their audience
with the Farmer.
Frogs living their lives the way serfs do:
keeping a low profile, eyes on the road,
blending in with the surrounding,
hiding dreams in a haystack,
or under a dusty old hempen hat.
Ready to die with those dreams never spoken
for better bodies than dreams be broken.

Mighty King, we are awed by your beauty
stunned by your song,
may you in your infinite mercy and wisdom
live long.

Anarchy

The dog barks at people we know
and I cannot get him to back down.
We have a tense stand-off
until my husband arrives.
The dog obeys him
and I can walk away.

My hand will no longer
hold the pencil when I ask it to
hold the paintbrush
hold the dish sponge
it simply goes numb in protest.

My 6 year old too is unruly.
Not a shock so much as a given.

What happens to the weak-willed?
We have our sense of humor,
our moments of begging and pleading;
patience and humiliation
our daily compadres.

My helplessness is so complete
it comes with its' own accessories
and reusable decorative box.