The Chorus of the Ol’ Gray Tail
by Chila Woychik
The big, old elm tree quivered and shook
as his branches were tickled and teased.
He dropped his guard and his leaves rattled off—
by a cough—or maybe a sneeze.
Winter brings colds, but it’s warm today
and Old Elm’s as healthy as me:
No, he didn’t sneeze or cough as I supposed
but trembled from the revelry.
Fall hasn’t come, the winter’s long past;
the wind hasn’t whipped up a gale.
Let’s listen carefully! We’ll hear it at last—
the Chorus of the Ol’ Gray Tail.
A dozen choir members all singing their parts
with Mister Furry Tail leading bass,
And Chatter-Box Fluff seems to be Choir Master
helping keep everyone in place.
Big Gray Mama coaches little ones at play
—they’re too young to join in yet.
But the day will come when their learning is done
and their choir parts will be set.
So the All Squirrel Chorus sings from tree to tree
along that much-used Critter Trail.
If they’ll just sit still—what a choir that would be! —
The Chorus of the Ol’ Gray Tail.
About the Poet
Chila Woychik is originally from the beautiful land of Bavaria but has lived in the Midwest most of her life. She has been published in Cimarron, Passages North, and more, and has an essay collection, Singing the Land: A Rural Chronology (Shanti Arts, 2020). www.chilawoychik.com
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Image is in the Public Domain. Hawkes, Clarence, 1869-1954, via Wikimedia Commons.
