THE DAINTY MONSTERS
Michael
Ondaatje
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Over the Garden Wall
My mother while caressing camels
had her left breast bitten off,
so I was weaned on half a body.
In spite of this I’ve no objections
to camels, one hump or two,
and I like their quivering jaws
that crunch bone
and stones with equal ease,
while the Canadian wolf
with flailing
double jointed legs
is to my mind
awesome on this continent.
...........
...............................I mean
the infamous camel
would look profound in a felt hat,
pigs could trot, cherub white,
down the high streets,
leopards in a two-seater
would be star spangled roués.
Yet, in spite
of warnings by Daphne du Maurier,
we find the ‘potamus barred from public swimming pools,
and a vulture calmly resting at a traffic light
would undoubtedly be shot, very messily,
by the first policeman who spotted him.
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