Poetry: Ode To A Little Mouse
Ode To A Little Mouse
By Laijon Liu 20091009
'Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.'
- Shakespeare, The Tempest Act 2, scene 2, Line 40
01
In my tiny room, there’s a little mouse
A New Yorker he is, a resident of Queens
He’s lonely like me and nameless he is
He works all the days to see who he really is
Oh, my heart cries for you, my little friend
This world too big and your life too frail
In my roommate rooms they set the clip traps
And in each corner they prepared your last meal
But you still, running wise and boring brave
To be a master of your own fate, not a slave!
02
For that sweet cheese cake! You try to nose
For whole life among the rooms and traps
Oh dream of fulfillment, drives living purpose
That one day you may gain fat like those rats
But no, you are in my room, but I only have books
This is not a restaurant, nor subway tracks
And out there on street, too many wild cats
They are not house pets that live on diet food
So, you must be patient and do with what you have
For you haven’t met any girl mouse yet
03
Oh, love for a little mouse? Too unreal!
How that 2-second intimacy can make you feel?
What’s after, still loneliness, emptiness,
Such state even human wail and gods pale
In this mice and rats crowded capital,
How many couples truly find their nest?
Once you were born into this cold world
Then you must walk and search alone
Btwn the walls, sneak in and out the pipes
And hoping to find your sweet cheese
04
Go! You little mouse! Be smart and brave!
Don’t just hide in my tiny room
Even though you moved in here first
But your life is not staying here and starve
Even though I never wanted to trap you
Nor I’m too wicked to poison you
Still, you must go out and be stuffed
For all those trashes are waiting for you
And you might be luckier than me
Soon walk with a mouse next door in flowery forest
05
Yes, you already used to be in this room
And I dare not to claim what I paid it’s mine
So all these years I let you stay in your corner
And marked the spot with a cookie each month
But it does not mean that I’ve accepted you
Or changed my mind to receive you as my pet
Mice and rats are not equal with dogs and cats
Not even people on earth obtain same rights
Maybe only in sleep or heavy drinks
So we can all be a big happy family
06
How many times at night I wake up
Fearing you may sneak into my bed
And how many times I almost hit you
That you broke the law of this room
Even though I’m a guy that fears a mouse
But in madness men can march out for kill
And not to mention if I find girlfriend, God willing
Then I’d be forced to set poison and traps
Haven't you ever heard that in love
A woman is more jealous than death?
07
Oh, you little mouse, sad and alone
All your life you search in hunger and fear
But tonight, you are so lucky
You’ve got a safe corner, no trap or death cookie
A poet observes you with his drink
And writes a few drunken verse in ink
Not for his love, not for any girl
But only for you, my roommate and companion
How are we two miserable creatures
Under same shelter, sharing same roof!
08
Let’s enjoy this moment for a temporal rest
Before sunlight shoots into this tiny room
You little mouse has worked all night
Yet must get up in hurry for a weary road
Man labors from cell to cell
To chase his dream in tunnels of world
Mouse seeks from pipe to pipe
To look for his cheese in the hall of trap
And both come back in dust and dark
Till one day we must part for love or death.
Note:
Thanks to Mr. Joe Poewhit, I searched Shakespeare's verse for this poem and add it for an intro.
poem by Laijon Liu
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Related quotes
Why Are You Gloating?
Why are you gloating?
You look as if you were a mouse,
Who was just awarded...
A lifetime supply of cheese.
'That's almost funny.
No.
But...
Say I 'was' that mouse.'
Okay...
Mouse.
'And that mouse was suspected of stealing cheese.
And those who made the cheese...
Did all they could to find the mouse guilty of the crime.'
Go ahead,
I'm listening.
'And...
The mouse,
Kept telling the makers of cheese...
They actually befriended rats!
And those rats were the culprits of the theft all along.'
I don't get it.
What has that got to do with you?
'You see...
The folks had their eyes focused on the mouse closely.
Under microscope.
Not realizing they socialized and entertained disguised rats.
Masquerading as wholesome folks with undeniable integrity.'
What became the outcome?
'Well...
Not only was the mouse awarded that lifetime of cheese you mentioned.
But efforts long dismissed achieved notoriety for that same mouse.'
Soooo,
'Why' are 'you' gloating?
'Forget it.
Just forget it.'
Hey,
Wait a minute.
Don't get angry with me.
You were the one to bring up the mice and rats in disguise,
Working inside a cheese factory.
Yeah...
That's right.
Walk away.
You need to lay that head down and get some rest.
No wonder I see him smiling all the time.
The dude is nuts!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Missing
Has anybody seen my mouse?
I opened his box for half a minute,
Just to make sure he was really in it,
And while I was looking, he jumped outside!
I tried to catch him, I tried, I tried....
I think he's somewhere about the house.
Has anyone seen my mouse?
Uncle John, have you seen my mouse?
Just a small sort of mouse, a dear little brown one,
He came from the country, he wasn't a town one,
So he'll feel all lonely in a London street;
Why, what could he possibly find to eat?
He must be somewhere. I'll ask Aunt Rose:
Have you seen a mouse with a woffelly nose?
He's just got out...
Hasn't anybody seen my mouse?
poem by Alan Alexander Milne
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A Mouse Is Killed Today
a mouse is killed today
by an artist
who got mad because
the mouse ate his painting
of the nude woman
that evening while he got so furious
the mouse was at his hole
on the floor eating his usual cheese
the artist mumbled and murmured
and grumbled
and the mouse heard it
and called it
slapstick poetry
a doggerel,
the artist was not able to hold his temper
anymore
got an armalite and shot the hole with the mouse in it
in the name of art
the artist invokes his right to kill the mouse
he says it was
' clearly an artistic expression
and protected by the First Amendment.'
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Alankar (Decor) -32
Chase (Rondeau Redoubled)
I won't let you go out o' little mouse
Shall see to it once and all for today
You run run-I run run-round round the house
But I win, you're caught and lost just today
Here I keep the trap to trap and dismay
Sugared magic sure you're fooled o'poor mouse
Cunning you think? brainy you think? ..today
I won't let you go out o' little mouse
Fought, caught, taught to rot petty petty mouse
Bitter squeaks, what a pest, what a hell, hey
Snouty mouse, messy beast, out from this house
Shall see to it once and all for today
May foe feline be fed on you today
Be hooked and thrown-that I shall venge you mouse
Ha, ha, ha then shall all end just today
You run run-I run run-round round the house
No reason, no season, no taste o' mouse
krrkk, krrkk-nibbling all things, all time whole day
Like thief hide and steal you do in my house
But I win, you're caught and lost just today
Here is the trap for your best goal today
Slip in soundless for the 'masaal' o'mouse
I'm sure you will tempted fall but at bay
Thrown awed by foe feline outside the house
I won't let you
poem by Indira Renganathan
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a mouse teaches Diogenes
You see Diogenes living in the slums. He lives in a barrel. This is the man even Alexander the Great admires. So it makes you wonder about Diogenes.
So you pretend to be there quite by accident and you ask: “Diogenes…Who was your teacher? ”
“A mouse was my teacher, ” says Diogenes.
You are quite confused. And you say: 'A mouse is your teacher? And how is that, Diogenes? '
“Well, most exquisite Sir, ” says Diogenes to you. “Most cultured Sir, ” he says. “I had no home and I was in the streets. I almost killed myself. Then I saw mouse. Mouse ran around and looked for food and it found some and I observed mouse for over two days. And I realized how resourceful mouse was. And then I said to myself: ‘Learn of the mouse, Diogenes- and all will be well.’ And so I learned of mouse. And every time I have a problem, I simply ask myself: ‘How will mouse solve this? ’ And so mouse became my teacher. And now, most Exquisite Sir, I have a problem. You. I want to get rid of you and I ask myself: ‘How would mouse solve this problem? ’ He would bite…”
You listen to this and you are afraid – and you run. And Diogenes has done well; he has learned well from his teacher. And you can hear him shouting to you: “By the way, who was your teacher? ”
poem by Raj Arumugam
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Staring At The Dead Mouse
i poisoned that mouse
which ate my cheese
that i left
under my bed,
till now i do not know
the reason,
why that cheese
was there, why
i left the mouse dead
on the floor,
why i stared at it
as though
i am sharing my guilt
with the cheese
and the poison.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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Sleeping Mouse
Sleeping Mouse
In front of me, on the track that leads into the bushes, a tiny field mouse.
Picked it up and put it in the palm of my hand. The mouse was brown and
white, absurdly cute when it curled up and fell asleep in the morning light.
Eyes, lungs and heart, like me, so what’s next? I couldn’t stay here with my
hand outstretched waiting for it to wake up from its slumber, nor could
I take it home. Behind me I heard the shepherd with his sheep and dogs,
Put the mouse in my pocket. When dust had settled and the baaing stopped
I put my hand in pocket to pick it up, only it wasn’t there anymore. To have
a mouse in the palm of my hand, is one thing, but to have it crawling about
inside my pants? I took my trousers off. I took my shirt off. I stood there
naked as Adam in Paradise, no mouse. As I slowly dressed, butterflies flitted
making the woods enchanting.
poem by Oskar Hansen
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Surprise Before Christmas
was a couple of days before Christmas
And all through our house
Wrapping supplies were still scattered
When my wife first saw the mouse
I was dozing watching TV
When I hear her query
'What's that running across the floor? '
Her eyes showing signs of fear and fury
Then I saw it too and hoped it was
Heading out on his way back
It was a mouse for sure
Fury light brown with eyes coal black
I jumped to my feet
To see what to do
Could I be fast enough to catch him
Or just hit him with my shoe
I scared him all right
He again ran across the floor
Hid behind our presents
Instead of going out the door
Help was on the way
My son handed my a broom
My wife standing in her chair
Watching from the other room
Our daughter on her cell phone
Also seemed full of fright
I heard her asking a friend
If she could go there to spend the night
Then the mouse was gone
Fast as a shot
At least that's what I told my wife
I showed her the spot
'See the bottom of the new door
where the the rug used to be
That's where he went out.'
Sounded convincing to me
She made me check all the rooms
Even close up the chimney flue blockikng any crack
I thought better and didn't ask
How Santa was going to get in with his sack
Finally she went to bed
I was soon to follow
I'm sure she knew my promise of
'No mouse for Christmas.' was hollow
poem by Tom J. Mariani
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The Mouse That Was King
Drum rolls jesters dance, frolic and sing
The crowd waits with excitement for the crowning of the new king
Order order cries the speaker order in the house
From behind the curtain the king sprung out
The crowd gasps in disbelief for king was a tiny little mouse
The king leaped upon the thrown and silenced the crowd
For i am your king said the tiny little mouse
Do not fear me the king cried out
The crowd screamed out with fits of laughter in the house
How can you rule a kingdom your a tiny little mouse
Then from no where at all the king let out a mighty roar
Where did that come from a voice call out
Well we all know it came from this tiny little mouse
Cat Mouse Space Games
on earth many a mouse
hunting prey cheese
is swift mousetrap caught
in space the moon
is the night mouse
the earth hunting cat
earth waits huge mouth open
huge feline fangs teeth showing
waiting to swallow whole mouse
a natural ending to cat mouse games
base animals space wars old habits
space quarantine grounds earth minds
poem by Terence George Craddock
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The City Mouse And The Garden Mouse
The city mouse lives in a house; -
The garden mouse lives in a bower,
He's friendly with the frogs and toads,
And sees the pretty plants in flower.
The city mouse eats bread and cheese; -
The garden mouse eats what he can;
We will not grudge him seeds and stalks,
Poor little timid furry man.
poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti
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Once Upon A Time
A hungry mouse was looking for cheese
Anything, fat free, blue vein, or cheddar would please,
So out of is little hole he stepped an'
Blow me down with a feather
He bumped into a lump of cheddar
Alas it was covered by the tail of a sleeping kitten
So round to its face he went where he could be bitten
Then OMG he gave the little kitten a kiss
Who intern awoke and cried 'What oh what is this,
You gave me a kiss wow from a little mouse,
This is lovely for we both live in the same house! '
Exclaimed the mouse 'May I have that little cheese under your tail'
'Of course you can my friend, let's make this a happy ending tale.
poem by Ken e Hall
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The Mouse In The Maze
You did not
need to telephone today
to tell me
that you would not see me.
Today.
I already knew.
You left your job
I knew
you would not see me
very often.
If at all.
From this point on.
You live in the country
you can go nowhere.
Without justifying your time
people knowing.
Letting people know
paying for petrol.
You pay for petrol
money you no longer earn.
Where do you go?
Account for the petrol!
You do not realize yet
that you live in a maze.
You live in a maze
you are a mouse.
Merv runs the maze
you may run the house.
Or your own treadmill
you may run both.
You may run both
but both lead to nowhere.
You are the trained tame pet
caged laboratory mouse.
You may only run the house
and your children's home.
You are a mouse.
Merv the perve runs the maze.
The really sad thing is
he does not even bait you.
With a whole piece of cheese.
You run his prison maze
craving crumbs of affection.
He sometimes lets you keep.
You are only his mouse
running his relocated maze.
You are not as important
as his computer mouse.
Yet isn’t it funny
that I should fall for...
fall in love with
such a funny
mouse in a maze?
Apparently you are destined
to live a maze life,
running your treadmill
in submission,
to all important wishes
satisfying, the maze master?
poem by Terence George Craddock
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The Mouse and the Grouse
The teeny, tiny mouse said to the finely feathered grouse
“I’d like to come and visit you in your lofty, lovely house.”
The finely feathered grouse smiled at the teeny, tiny mouse
And said, “You can’t since I'm saving it for my future spouse.”
The sad teeny, tiny mouse said, as tears started to douse,
“I’m lonely and just wanted to say hello, finely feathered grouse.”
Well, the finely feathered grouse with his lofty, lovely house
Was lonely too since he hadn’t yet found his future spouse.
But how could a mouse so teeny, tiny and a grouse so fine of feather
Ever visit each other and have a talk together?
They had nothing in common and their lives had different starts.
Although one thing was the same; they both had hurting hearts.
No one had ever visited the finely feathered grouse
And he did like friendly words uttered by the teeny, tiny mouse.
As mister mouse gazed aloft, sir grouse returned that smile
And suddenly blurted out, “Come on up and we’ll chat for awhile.”
Overjoyed, the teeny, tiny mouse jumped, but just bumped the tree.
Then tears wet ears to tail as teeny tiny moaned mournfully,
“You can fly free through the air, but alas, I’m earthbound.
There’s no hope since you live in a tree, but my house is on the ground.”
Suddenly, a star from the heavens flashed an idea for these two.
Perhaps they could visit together if both tried something new.
The finely feathered grouse left his lofty, lovely house
And eagerly landed in a bush near the star struck tiny mouse.
In one hop teeny, tiny leapt toward the bush, and I’ve heard tell
That the friendship of grouse and mouse has been doing very well.
(Illustrated book available direct from author)
poem by Gregory Huyette
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Three Mice Who Hoped
Six mice stared out their door.
The Cat was crouching there.
“Have hope! ” one cried.
“The Dog will come and scare it away! ”
But one mouse ran out, gave up.
In the jaws of Cat he died.
Five mice stared out their door.
Still the feline purred.
“Have hope! ” one cried.
”The Dog will be here soon! ”
But one mouse could wait no more.
In the jaws of Cat she died.
Four mice stared out their door.
The Cat was waiting for them, too.
“Have… hope…” one said.
But one mouse snapped and darted out.
And soon, in jaws of Cat, was dead.
Three mice stared out their door.
The Cat sat ready, claws extended.
“Have… h-hope…” one said.
But one mouse squealed and started –
The one who’d spoken held her down.
“Have hope! ”
For hours more the three mice sat.
The watched, trembling, the mighty Cat.
But still: “Have hope! ” they cried.
Then came the Dog.
The Cat scurried away to hide.
The mice were free at last.
poem by Sophia White
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Tiny Mouse
tiny mouse tiny mouse how are you today
tiny mouse tiny mouse be good today
poem by Alyssa Subera
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A Legal Mouse
A lawyer had a legal mouse,
A naughty one they say,
That took possession of his house
And papers ev'ry day,
His books and records it would gnaw,
Without regard for loss,
Its disrespect and lack of awe
Just kept the owner cross.
When no revenge the man could get,
His anger blazed so high,
Till he declared when next they met,
The mouse would surely die.
The murder, all the world should know,
He planned with ire intense,
To strike the mouse a fatal blow
And call it self-defence.
One day the desk he opened wide,
The mouse in regal state,
Sat in a pigeon hole, inside,
In style the scene was great.
A stroke the lawyer at it gave,
A star it made to flee,
Into a hole its life to save,
To find security.
When he had guarded well the hole,
It scrambled for the floor,
Again he kept it from the goal,
Its life endangered more.
The door of hope he seemed to close
Upon the enemy;
Its feelings then, nobody knows,
Its longings to be free.
Up through his sleeve it made a break,
In search of freedom sweet;
His arm he then began to shake,
To bring it to his feet.
His cuff was thrown away, no doubt,
The button had to go;
His coat and vest he tore about,
The mouse had scared him so.
All o'er his body, too, he felt
The mouse, though such a prig,
Himself he then began to pelt,
To yell and dance a jig.
His thoughts he threw around his will,
The same he had not made;
He felt uncertain which would kill,
Such terror was displayed.
The neighbors and the police heard
The noise of that affray;
And to the spot, without a word,
They quickly made their way.
Upon his back, between his shirts,
The little mouse was found.
'Twas hard, amid' so many flirts,
To bring it to the ground.
Out of his coat, upon advice,
He came, with haste replete.
The room-door opened in a trice
And made good his retreat.
The mouse was taken from its place
Of hiding and of dread,
So painful was the last embrace,
It fell down by him—dead.
Then to the crowd the lawyer said,
'Of such, my friends, beware,
Mine enemy, the mouse, is dead,
Such things we all can spare.
'The killing, in my case, was one
Of self-defence, 'tis true;
And, on the whole, I've only done
As other men would do;
'But still, my hands are red with blood!
That mandate, 'Do not kill,'
Prevents the waters of the flood
From washing off the ill.'
To all who shall the story read,
And many will, I trust,
Don't kill a helpless mouse, I plead,
Unless the killing's just.
poem by Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer
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Who is the Best..?
Once there was this Rishi
Living under a banyan tree
Meditating on Him, all his life
Alone, without worries or wife..
It was a sunny day, bit hazy
Rishi was relaxed and lazy
A mouse came running and fell at his feet
A cat came chasing to eat
The mouse prayed 'Gimme shelter or u sin'
The cat said 'Protecting my food is no less a thing'
Rishi had to decide one way or other
Rishi blessed the mouse to be his daughter
The daughter grew into a beautiful woman
Time came for Rishi to think of her man.
He asked the daughter for any criteria or test
She said she wanted only the Best
Best of a man is a Rishi, said the father
Not really so, said the daughter
When Rishi said, better than a Rishi is the only Sun
No, said the daughter, not the burning hot one!
Rishi asked the Sun, if he knows anyone better
The Sun said, try the Cloud, it hides my power
When Rishi told her of the Cloud's valor
No, said the daughter, I hate the dark color
Rishi asked the Cloud, who betters it
The Cloud said, surely the Wind, it blows me out
Rishi asked the daughter, if Wind is her choice
No, said the daughter, It just makes noise.
Rishi asked the Wind, for a better person
The Wind said, It is the immovable Mountain
Rishi asked the daughter, if Mountain passes her test
No, said the daughter, full of trough and crest
Rishi asked the Mountain for the best in the land
The Mountain said, It is the Mouse that crushes it to sand
Rishi asked the daughter, if Mouse is her groom
Yes, said the daughter, I love his eyes that zoom..
Rishi made his daughter back into a mouse
They married and lived in a hole as their house
The Best for a mouse is mouse, for Rishi a Rishi, for crook a crook
It depends on what you look out for; your outlook!
poem by TheBigThinkg Human
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Real Cat And A Real Mouse
My cat is not much of a hunter. A mouse
he brought in and did not kill; now in my house, ...
...this small but wild creature, to name I not dare
it has cute pink feet and has gray for it's hair.
So why does my can bring in things that are prey
and leave them to bounce around day after day?
And I can not catch it, I have not the whit.
And nor does my cat because that cat will sit...
...and watch as I try to get that mouse to stray
away from the hiding place...leaves in dismay...
...the two of us. We just don't know what to do.
This mouse is quite stealth as it poops in my shoe.
Today is the day I shall set a safe trap
to catch what my cat brought in, my cat's a brat.
Copyright 12-28-2008 ©® Sarah Sisson
poem by Sarah Sisson
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Ek Is 'n Dapper Muis / Brave Little Mouse
Ek is ‘n dapper muis
Ek slap in die kombuis
Im a brave little mouse
I live under the shelf
Naby al the kos in die hius
Graan is die lekkerste van als
Close to all the food in the house
Utopia!
Ek het ‘n nes in elke kamer in die huis
Terwyl die mense slaap
Is ek die baas
When humans sleep
I strut through the house
like a king
i have a nest in every room
I can pick and choose what i want to eat
Ek is ‘n dapper muis
Ek eet van hul kos in die kombuis
Then one day
I followed the aroma of gold
Cheese!
Whiskers twitch-twitch twirr!
Op n dag toe ruik ek dit weer!
Die geur van die lekkerste lekkerny
Gelei deur my neus
Kom ek af op die mooiste kleur van goud
Kaas!
Im a brave little mouse
Snap-wham-Bang
As my tail got caught I the trap
Meteens klap daar ‘n ding
En my stertjie
Is vas gevang
Still I am in their house
Living under the shelf
My tail shortened
Living a full life...
Ja ek is ‘n dapper muis
Nog steeds leef ek in die kombuisk
Met my kort gekapte stert
En my familie!
poem by Persian Khushi
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