Catch a Monkey

     
Softly, softly, catch a monkey,
turn him inside out,
chase him up an apple tree whilst
the serpent
slithers about the feet 
of leverets,
as gentle as their twitching nose,
softly, softly,
catch a monkey, and hang
him by his toes above the bluebells
that litter his jungle floor,
starved of light,
and broken-stemmed
and destined evermore to follow
a breadcrumb trail,
to a house of gingerbread,
to hear the words of fairytale
the monkey softly said as he sat
upon his toadstools
and his piles of sparkling snow;
shining the horn
of a white unicorn
where little girls were sure to
go and sit
beside the Cheshire Cat all draped
in his gifts and
Fool's Gold.
    
Creepy, creepy,
a smiling monkey,
all high up in his nutmeg tree;
count to ten, he'll hide again
and in the night shall flee amongst
his Tom cats
and his pretty kittens
all in a row;
    
...but softly, softly
catch a monkey,
little does he know.