As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

5- ☼☼ ☼☼

instead of service that my city forc'd

the younger men to work a decade in."                50

Without a glance the Spouse now curtly says:

"It's better I than he for what I care."

Responding to the tone with which she speaks,

our Pilgrim shuts his mouth and casts his eye

to ground for th'rest of th'walk, and though the Spouse

will not allow herself his offer'd love

until he takes the mantle of a man

and bears responsibility for what

he's started in her womb, she doth regret

the shutting down of conversation here,                60

for stories of his past are sparse enough

without disparaging replies from her.

Ahead of them there's panick'd clamour's shouts

that catch th'attention of protagonist

as two performers call that th'animals'

enclosures have been open'd and they have

escap'd their capture t'roam as free as birds.

Our duo comes upon the scene to find

the cages empty, doors remain'd ajar.

"Impossible," there's one performers says.                70

"I check'd the locks this morn, on passing by

to congregate upon the land for work.

Secure as ever were the cages clos'd,

each mechanism firmly tighten'd shut.

I can't believe escape was possible;

especially when taking in account

that ev'ry animal escap'd at once.

Th'orangutan perhaps was clever 'nough

to play a trick, but certainly could not

manoeuvre through the picking of a lock,                80

so I would guess it tinker'd with its lock

t'appear as shut upon a lighter pull,

but still this wouldn't tell us how the rest

as well escap'd, for definitely not

would th'ape decide to help the other beasts,

for it is smart enough t'assess the risk

of one of us returning ere success."

A larger man approaches him and raps

his knuckles o'er the first performer's head.

"Thou dolt. Obsession with these animals                90

hath clouded thee to what is obvious;

the Tamer gifted flight to them t'escape

our carnival, for he well knows the beasts

can't think ahead about what's best for them