Poetry of Issue #7        Featured Poet Sherman: Page 2

REQUIEM

Think of the lowly mouse   No one to mourn her  
shed a tear   Grey   ugly   tiny ears laid flat
against her skull   a smaller version of a rat  

No country mouse   Disney cartoon with gleaming 
patent leather fur   round megaphone ears   
she is a city dweller   infested with germs   

wanting only a warm place to nest   
a drink of water   a meal   Think of her  
the common mouse   murdered in an act

of self-defense   dumped unceremoniously into garbage   
covered by banana peels   toilet paper   bottle caps 
days old food   Perhaps she is a mother  

her children waiting patiently for her return 
Think kindly of her   the common mouse
who had no say over who she was   where she was born   

her position in life   No obituaries
will honor her   No interviews   TV panels 
Wikipedia entries   Facebook or Twitter accounts

Think of the lowly city mouse   and how we treat each other
Our own children   Those who are old and alone
 

  Susan Sherman