Plea Denied

      At dawn

to memories of crime,

      "Begone!"

I screamed.  "Some other time!

Save your disgusting onset

      till sunset."

      "Your faults

cry now," they thundered, "roar

      and waltz

wild on your ballroom floor

because you need to suffer,

      you duffer.

      "Come, knit

us nicely in your song.

      We'll fit.

You cannot get along

(so don't you dare to flout us)

      without us."

Richard Moore

© 2000; originally printed in Chronicles.
Reprinted by permission of the author.