an unsuccessful journey towards the promised land

all right all right

the leader said

all those of you
who do not know
the way
make a line

make a line there

make a line

come up close
come up close

come up closer

take a tail
in your mouth
but do not bite it

I said
a tail in your mouth
but no
no biting

now first rank
you may proceed

second rank
you may proceed

third rank
oh no
who dropped their tail

fourth rank
oh no
oh no oh no

in the chaos
of half liz-
seeking their tails
running over everybody else’s

and the wriggling
un-control
of discarded rears

the leader
when out of the assembly’s gaze
slipped beneath
a convenient stone
pressed his nose

close up
to his own tail

and sought again
for his dream

---

© Frank Prem, 2016

Poem #30: interpreting signals

Un-successful