By: Carl Papa Palmer

Calico Sentinel

the seedless dandelion tuft
arrives on nonexistent breeze
settling softly upon fluffy feline tail

observed by the one male kitten
in the family of four
who quickly pounces upon his prey

immediately swatted sideways
he dives for obscure safety
among his litter sisters

stares out menacingly
at the unruffled tuft
still smugly riding mother’s tail

weighing the consequence
of another of her slaps
for his certain repeat attack

###

Poached Egg

            Part of Larry’s 200 hours of community service was to help relocate the Henry County Museum. On his third trip he helped himself by relocating a fossilized egg from the dinosaur exhibit.

            He planned to sell the artifact at his brother Matt’s yard sale that weekend at the Kitty Ranch on Old Mill Road. What didn’t sell on Matt’s table of garage and attic clutter, to include Larry’s egg, was advertised on eBay.

             The egg sold immediately as an ostrich egg to an Oklahoma emu rancher hoping to create a new breed of the other white meat.

            Ronnie, the emu rancher, realized this was not an ostrich immediately upon hatching. The reptilian beast, being docile enough, grew to be a part of the Pryor, Oklahoma community, home of Okie Stout Beer.

            Ronnie made national headlines when he allowed his daughter, little Tina, and her prehistoric pet, Fluffy, to appear as a live parade float in a local television commercial for the new beer of Pryor, T. Rex Ale.

            The publicity led to a paper trail back to Larry, who is once again working off his hours of community service, however this time not in a museum.