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Early in the morning Rikki-tikki came to early breakfast in the verandah riding on Teddy’s shoulder, and they gave him banana and some boiled egg; and he sat on all their laps one after the other, because every well-brought-up mongoose always hopes to be a house-mongoose some day and have rooms to run about in, and Rikki-tikki’s mother (she used to live in the General’s house at Segowlee) had carefully told Rikki what to do if ever he came across white men.

Rikki-tikki knew better than to waste time in staring. He jumped up in the air as high as he could go, and just under him whizzed by the head of Nagaina, Nag’s wicked wife. She had crept up behind him as he was talking, to make an end of him; and he heard her savage hiss as the stroke missed. He came down almost across her back, and if he had been an old mongoose he would have know that then was the time to break her back with one bite; but he was afraid of the terrible lashing return-stroke of the cobra. He bit, indeed, but did not bite long enough, and he jumped clear of the whisking tail, leaving Nagaina torn and angry.

City

Red and green lights

Keeping slowing

The hustle of the city

 

Walks cold and windy

Lack of autonomy

She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significanceShe wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms. When the storm of grief had spent itself she went away to her room alone. She would have no one follow her.

There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be not be powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination.

Earth

Head lowered

Eyes closed

A step inside

Forgotten

 

The vines tower over

Every corner

Stretching up the wall

 

The whispers

Of what happened here

Echo the hall

 

They failed they cry

The hour’s here

 

No more will they occupy

This regal space

Funny

What a funny girl you used to be

Playing double Dutch in the street

Wearing your twist proud

 

What a funny girl you used to be

Drawing cartoons and listening to

Common

 

What a funny girl you used to be

Laughing so hard

You can barely breathe

 

Those days are gone

And there’s work to be done

Smile and keep your head and

 

Be

SCOUTUS

Senior

Citizens deciding what

Our bodies can and can’t

Undergo without being able

To try it themselves

Unfortunately to no

Sensible avail

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