The human problem

This morning
         in the early hours
I was again awoken
         by the chatter of foxes
under the hedge
         at the end of the garden

Yesterday evening
         I had noticed a clear sky
and a bright half-moon
         and wondered whether
another conference
         was on the cards
I’m getting good
         at predicting
these meetings

But this morning
         the tone was different
voices were being raised
         one fox talking over another
I could sense
         a loss of tempers
and some jostling
         a baring of teeth
and then I knew
         that they were all
agonising once again 
         over the human problem

John Lyons