MY FIVE ON MORNING WATCH!

MY FIVE ON MORNING WATCH!

THE GUINEA WATCH
--a villanelle--

My five cats wait each dawn: a solemn test.
They look for neighbor’s flock of guinea fowl
to waddle past their sunny, quiet rest.

They only dream of a guinea conquest’
all they’d do if they caught one is just growl!
They’ve only ever caught a mouse, at best!

Now, a loose guinea hen can be a pest!
The sight of it makes one timid cat howl;
I think the hen’s not meant to be our guest!

So, are those hens now meant to be their test??
I know they’d like to catch one; don’t know how!
They study them each day with fervent zest!

The march is early; causes cats their rest
as they conspire to catch the guinea fowl
who’ve unwittingly volunteered as guest.

Their day has started off wrong; they can’t rest
until a fowl is captured from its nest.
The wadd’ling birds have stirred them up for now,
and all their dreams are of the wand’ring fowl.

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