unheard, unseen
Pied Piper
has a cousin we don’t learn about in school
Pied Piper gets all the attention
human hero
with his magical flute
putting the rats in a trance
his melodies impossible to ignore
follow him, follow him
follow him into the abyss
the sound of involuntary suicide
Pied Piper’s cousin has also been blessed
with the gift of music
music as an art
enchantment via music
will always be essential
Pied Piper’s cousin is half man, half goat
who has claimed the woods home
can’t hide his pointy ears
no matter how hard he tries
barba de chivo
well-groomed, strong follicles
wants to look younger longer
early aging aint for him
colita corta atrás
igual de largo que su miembro en frente
hooves leave no traces in the night
only shadows are proof
instead of one solitary flute
he plays with two magic sticks
one for joy, the other to possess
the beats move forward while he hops backwards
full goats approach their shepherd
let us move, let us dance, let us feel uninhibited
find delight in the moonlight
he promises a bounteous feast ahead
full goats savoring imaginary ambrosial dishes
picturing regaling hosts
zero fuss, all laughs
what they don’t know is
the half goat
has a nightly mission
that’s the half man in him, all men come with agendas included
there’s no such thing as a merry quarantine
he misses parties with possums, foxes
get-togethers with brown bears, hedgehogs
cooking with deer, squirrels
choreographing with beavers, snails
protesting with boars, wolves
exercising with moles, butterflies
singing with owls, raccoons
sharing meals with moose, badgers
shopping with skunks, rabbits
studying with snakes, woodpeckers
looking for doves to mess with
admiring their limitless grace
lockdown is not insurmountable
recluse by day
party animal by night
this woodland creature organizes
clandestine events
that look dark on the outside
but are full of life inside
no mere mortal can see or hear
confined to only imagine
