Pan Narrans

the taciturn lion speaks
but the story-telling chimpanzee
does not understand the subtle hammer-blows of his nuanced philosophizing

the page must be filled, nonetheless

the imperious eagle wheels on the wing
and dives with murderous purpose…
but the hare can think only of ducks ~ and the immanent danger
is missed
it always comes back to the duck

viewing the scene at a distance ~ the
viper considers himself clever
and smiles

and the page must still be filled

the tigress smiles at her cubs ~
as they leave their first claw-puckered
footprints on the sand
their play-acting turns sanguine

blood drips onto the page

the viper smiles at the pleasing pattern

the story-telling chimpanzee opens the
thorax of his pocket watch
and consults the complications within

he smiles as a story occurs

he momentarily considers the nature
of fame ~ and decides that
he agrees with Cicero

wanting to record this new
consensus sapientium
~ he searches for a pen
but finds only a tuning fork

the blood runs down the page ~ slowly

the imperious eagle frowns at the sight
of a duck ~ quacking where a hare had cowered in terror
moments before

but she knows enough to know
that even the sharpest eye can be fooled
by qualia

the thought experiment fails on the page of garnished annihilation

the story-telling chimpanzee gives the tuning fork to the lion ~
who points out that even the most altruistic action has at its heart a
selfish motivation…

and the chimp smiles … uncomprehendingly

in a rare moment of cogitation, the
viper decides that cannibalism is too high a price to be paid for the
acquisition of wings and the
ability to cook his dinner
with a breath

the page remains wet

the story-telling chimpanzee is also
thinking of prices ~
he contemplates the
victories of Pyrrhus
and determines that
high prices are best put
on someone else’s tab
~ he makes a mental note for future reference

and the page becomes further enriched

the taciturn lion lends a pen
to the story-telling chimpanzee
~ quoting Pratchett, he points out that:-

+++It is difficult to convey five-dimensional ideas in a language evolved to scream defiance at the monkeys in the next tree+++

~ but the chimp remains charmingly oblivious ~ he smiles
thanks the lion kindly
consults the reassuring complications ~ and sets to write

the lion sniffs the drying
blood ~ and baulks at
the page

honey is drained from the world as the bees die
~ and the ants … scuttle

in the night ~
the taciturn lion commits an act of
experimental theology

(his findings remain unknown)

in the eyrie ~
the imperious eagle stirs the stew-pot
with a foundling pen … reasoning
that the chimp would only put it to ill-purpose

(little does she know)

in the den ~
the tigress tucks her cubs in with
the chimp’s bedtime story ~ but, well versed in
narrative imperative, the cubs guess every plot-twist…and laugh

(mother has taught them well)

in the desert ~
the viper reads the blood-spattered
page ~
and commits to memory
the chimp’s contact information
and smiles

(the chimp remains charmingly oblivious)