Life on a farm may seem to be idyllic some;
You come to know just where each day is coming from.
Your nearest neighbor will be Nature, fresh and raw;
And you soon learn you must abide with Nature’s law.
But some will come to hate this never changing rut;
A sense of feeling worthless in their every gut.
And so, upon this day, the farmer’s wife was one,
To her, it seemed the household chores were never done.
So here she was, chopping away, to make a stew;
But in her mind she felt nothing was ever new.
Then she remembered–and was glad it came to mind.
She could well have a drink or two, she had opined.
An hour later, she was bashed…not just drunk.
She now would spill almost as much as she would pour,
So now there was a steady dripping to the floor.
This sound and odor soon attracted several mice.
Not knowing what the drip was, still it smelled so nice.
The first few sips was all they needed, everyone.
Their antics were so ‘off the wall’ they thought it fun.
In fact, they were so bashed, they might as well be blind.
The farmer’s wife was just as bad, or perhaps worse.
For when she finally saw them, she began to curse.
She had that knife, of course, which she began to flail.
But due to her condition, all attempts would fail.
Except for this one oddity–each of their tails.
The nursery rhyme which came about because of this,
Had certain fallacies in it you dare not miss.
Therein we’re told: “They all ran after the farmer’s wife,”
With this result: “who cut off their tails with a carving knife.”
But being blind drunk means you won’t run after anyone.
And neatly cutting off a tail cannot be done.
The best laid plans of mice or men we dare not guess.
© Richard Williams