Accidental terrorists

A renga-inspired collaboration with guest poet Jessica Perini¹

Tiny brown toadstools
trace a circle in the lawn—
flimsy fairy town.

‘Don’t eat,’ Mummy says
as I reach to grab a morsel,
eyes wide, not thinking.

But I’ve trodden on—
mown down—several houses now;
the pixies panic.

Hand to mouth, tears brimming, I
watch them flee from—giant toddling me.

Mummy stoops to soothe
‘Hey, you’re not in trouble, pet’—
drops her letter bombs.

Falling from her hand,
mail makes mayhem, crashes down;
avenues smashed up.

Pixies clamber, wings crumpled,
their city crunched and trampled.

But Mummy leads me
back inside for morning tea—
simply doesn’t see.

1. Catherin J Pascal Dunk composed verses 1, 3, 5, 6 & 8; Jessica Perini composed verses 2, 4 & 7. Photo from Pexels Free Photos. ↩︎