her voice is winter’s cold; cynical and parted
from wide cheeks. She leads the enchanted Fox away
from home’s hearth, and into black woods.
The auburn Crow eats from the coffee bushes
she smokes from a branch, demonstrating her steel break
from which spout swears and wisdoms.
She’s young but sticks with her older mate -
no words break her spirit-beak.
The longhaired Kelpie rises from his mire,
voicing humor, making faces and eating coffee.
The Jay with smiling beak follows the Kelpie,
joining his antics and correcting the Fox on
The black Parrot, a lusty bird, perched beneath
the pretty birds, watches women and smokes cigars,
black hat askew. He spits, chuckles and vanishes,
leaving black feathers behind and lewd thoughts
A blue Fawn gives her tail to the Parrot, as he did to her.
She trusts the Fox, who trusts the Wolf,
all beasts annoy her, save for her friends.
in dreams she longs for another warm heart
but despite her tentative blue, she has a fire still.
The Lion in the sand; thin and yet without mane,
but he loves to war, and hopes to cross the river
as a thrilling soldier some day.
He’s the Fox’s oldest friend, for he taught him
They all know the Fox -wolf to lion-
he loves them as his kindred; he wanders with them
through the Kingdom; forever,
though, the Fox fears them suffer
his absence, for then he will know them
--Scott Tidemand (Summer 2013)