I love this poem’s form, how skillfully it moves us along. Just like one of the
characters: quick and smooth. I love the brevity and wit this poet uses to
highlight human folly. As I read along I thought, ruh roh! Made me laugh
out loud. Watch out for those smooth talkers, peeps!

Fable

I’m tired of meaning, says the tortoise
to the hare, who agrees. The lions

and crows don’t disagree, and the snake
chimes in: It would be better if we didn’t

have to moonlight as morality lessons.
Exactly, says the chicken. I’d like to let

loose once in a while, I’d like to
stretch my wings, she says. Yes,

says the fox. You should get out
of your pen more, says the fox. You

should let me help, says the fox,
opening the latch to the evening.

It was a fine evening and a fine
conclusion they were coming to,

thought the fox, helping
the chicken out of her feathers.

By Andrea Cohen, from Poetry (May 2024)
Copyrighted material; for non-profit/educational purposes only.

Check out the gigantic archive of poems on my website: www.clearlenscoaching.com/poems/