12 February 2022

#11 – Dark Crazed Cap (or: A Gill of Brittle Courage)

Fay Roberts dashing in late with coffee and Dermoloma cuneifolium

For all his efforts, still he turns up late.
He cringes, helpless, fears his chance has passed.
She lifts her cup, observes his crumpled state.
“This just won’t do at all,” she sighs at last.

“If you mean to impress, then think again:
“The image you project is far from chic.
“Less sweaty hands must capture that sweet wren…
“And don’t forget: we only have a week.”

But she’s done more with less she tells him, calm
And walks him through the steps to win the race.
So by week’s end he’s radiating charm –
enough to cover up his lack of grace.

When entering this kind of toxic pact,
you’d best go armed with all the salient facts.

– FR

A broad, light brownish-grey, plucked mushroom turned on its cap, displaying its very pale, tapering gills. beneath it is soft, very green blades of grass. The stalk looks a little splayed and shredded
The "brittle gills" of this poisonous organism that inspired the piece. Image from First Nature.

(A gill is an old-fashioned measurement of volume, generally of liquid, and nowadays only used for spirits.)

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