It Does Not Get Better

The Stoat, The Goat and the Toad ( A Short Story)

1. Three Best Friends

The Stoat, the Goat, and the Toad
They were the best of friends

They were oddballs from different species, different lives
and yet their souls were the same inside, so full of pride

They were opposites in nature and breeding
and yet kindred in thought and mind, word and deed, with fires a-kindling

This was their blessing, their curse and their gift
For though it would soon bring them closer together
It would kill them all in the end

II. The Rescue Mission

Now the stoat went fishing one day in a dark green moat
He saw some fishes, and thought of a party for his goat, fishes for his toad,
But then the idiot fell into the water, and screamed and screamed and screamed

The goat heard him and came clip-clopping down to the edge of the moat
He found a boat to cross the moat, to save the little stoat,
Who like a little sissy, screamed and screamed and screamed

Then fearlessly, the goat crossed the moat
While daringly, friend toad secretly hid in the boat,
As witlessly, the stoat screamed and screamed and screamed

The toad fought with the goat, for he wanted to be the superhero toad
To take control of the boat and save the wee stoat,
When they reached the other side of the deep green moat

But without meaning to, friend goat had killed the toad
And without wishing to, friend toad had killed the goat,
And wee stoat saw this and screamed and screamed and screamed

For the goat had strong jaws and the toad had poisonous skin
And the grieving stoat now had lost a brother and a best friend,
But lo, he gained a boat, some roasted goat and a toadskinned coat!!!

In the end, the toad and the goat had saved their friend the stoat
But not in the way they intended,
And not in a way the stoat would have wanted

III. Nuclear Fallout

The stoat lost his best friends
Who fought a useless fight of jealousy

Now he survives
The sole bastion of their happy memories

But, alone
Unremembered, unloved

IV. Return of The Stoat

The Stoat became a maniac
And spent his days
Drinking rum and cognac

The Stoat became a lunatic
And spent his nights
Dreaming dreams all psychotic

The Stoat became depressed
Sat by the graves of Toad and Goat
With his tears flowing all unrepressed

Thoughts chaotic
Feelings psychotic
Mind of a lunatic

Shotgun BANG!!!

Anne Varghese (2004)