Crippled in Spirit
It was two hours before sky-dark
When the badger was defeated,
Crippled in spirit,
Awkwardly bruised from the imperial battle,
Humbled by the more capable creature
Hell-bent on shaping the mountain
In the image of its rage.
A bird, soaring kingly in the ocean-gray sky,
Observed the badger’s thrashing
Through the autumn evening rain haze,
Predicting the astringent badger would become
Disloyal in character, acidic, unwell.
In time, sadly, the badger proved the bird true,
Plotting with a doltish, clumsy raven
The humiliated badger prepared an attack
To malign the bird’s account of the beating.
Unbeknownst to the badger the spying eyes
Of an eagle from afar also bore witness,
Saving the bird from unholy disparage
Claimed by the deficient duo.
Sullen, the badger went back to its hole in the ground,
The dimwitted raven knew not what to think.
Originally published at desertidaho.com
