The Origins

The Origins

 
An elephant, an albatross
and a tired mouse,
all wearing ill-fitting fezzes,
go into a public house.

The mouse slaps the elephant’s
behind inside the second saloon
door as the albatross wafts
and lands at the bar. Peanuts float on air. 

“What would you like?”
asks the barman, attempting
the concealment of a grin,
“three gin and tonics?” Comes the reply:

“Sir, we are high culture,
and each of us a marvel;
relinquish your position with
immediate effect—uncloud your eyes!”

The elephant cracks a stool,
the tired mouse snoozing
in his folded neck of skin.
“Trouble?”

No trouble says the face
of the barman, who whimpers
out of the door, with one shoe on,
and the other shoe gone.