Mr Mascellani's Musings

Artie put the barrel of the gun
into his mouth and pulled the trigger.
He believed this to be
the best solution to his problems:

Lonely,
luckless in love,
deadend job,
gambling debt
etc
etc
etc.
So many etceteras, too many etceteras
as if they grew abundantly wild and mad
on some etcetera bush.
Each etcetera another problem on Artie’s list of laments.
Another reason
another excusefor Artie’s decision to die.
And die he did.
But somehow he came back
as a hen-his human soul and thoughts intact.
And he or should I say shecame to know the pain of laying eggs
and of being a randy old rooster’s favorite.

Missing an opposable thumbwith which to grasp
Artie the ex man now hen
yearned for the sweet release of the farmer’s axe.
Until she realized that her next life might be even worse than either this or the last.
and the absurdity of all it all made her laugh and laugh
or,rather, cluck and cluck.

She fell in love with Roger the randy old rooster and his rustic charms
and she made many a friend with all sorts of hens
and found herself
no longer lonely,very much lucky in love,
She adored her job as a free-range chook,had no gambling debt
and when she died- she was a grandmother hen

Her next life came and she was
once again human.
Brought back to bring peace to the earth.
And ,of course,
just as her job was begun
she was assassinated
by some nut job with a gun.