contents - Christ College Brecon - Archive

THE BADGER
I sit on this flat stone surface,
in a choir all of my own.
As I nod away to the sweet land of sleep,
my mind takes this summer's night entail
Suddenly a twig cracks,
and next a face with fur,
all mangled and dripping
with blood of creature that creature devours.
Then a face darts here and there.
but no more,
and then again sets grimace of chill
on that face of death,
that glance of hunger, the spring
like legs dart off into the horizon
It stalks its prey with
its war paint of black and
white, for only Badger,
will triumph from this of many battles.
The sleek body flies into action,
and deals death with claws
like razors.
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Now as the badger strips
the mutilated carcass clean.
Only the smell of badger is apparent,
save the sickening scent of
flesh is devoured in earnest
Having eaten his fill he
departs from me and leaves
me to my rest. Yet he will
be back for more to prey
on them that fear him
So as each distant
footpad fades I return to
slumber well knowing that
he has gone perhaps forever,
but he will rive in soul inside
the mind of mortals who remember.
o. Gabb (3)