1. "mi fa mi" – "In this our domicile misery and famine obtain" Johannes Kepler
The Rats
He appeared human, but, actually, he was a rat.
He could gnaw on anything, as long as it wouldn’t bite back
The streets, stores, and homes,
Were full of the sounds of their scampering feet.
Their claws scrapped along floors;
Against doors; along halls, and down corridor.
Relentlessly, day in, day out, they searched for food, wherever it might be;
Around cupboards; within holes; between cracks, and under sofas.
They never grew tired of getting their fill.
As soon as one meal was finished, the next began.
It didn’t take long, however, before their gluttony, and greed ravaged wires,
And damaged boards that kept homes in one piece.
The rats appeared not to notice;
They were too busy filling their stomachs.
Mindlessly they went about their days,
Happy to eat garbage; spew stench, and sleep in piles of filth;
Until there came a day when the buildings could no longer endure
The habits of these scavenging rodents;
The walls crumbled; the floors cracked open, and ceilings fell;

2. While the rats scurried for cover in their underground lairs.
Having no other choice, they fled this village they’d come to call home,
And went in search of another;
Built by men who could construct towers out of clay.
They were so talented, and strong,
The rats thought they were responsible for
The Sun rising, and setting,
Each day.