and at that time and in that place
where shadows of the elm laid trace
we gathered there for debate
of matters small and matters great

first to arrive and tucked up tight
came a maid of whom moonlight
never swept across her form
by way of curtain lust swift drawn
though fair of face she held a pallor
her cheeks they had a tint of sallow
yellowness where flush might be
though in advance we all agreed
not to state ought of her looks
for she had read in many books
and magazines o'er many years
that women oft' provoke men's fears
and if our oath we did break
this lady did this promise make
to quit our talks and report
this space not safe to the public court
and bring down upon our heads
opprobrium both dire and dread
for she did not trust our motives
leading her into the greenwoods
no matter how loud our protestation
to avoid misty WIFI congestion
therein to grow thoughts full and fat
without the need of tinfoil hat
but she feared we lured her from her home
beyond the signal of her phone
she kept her hand clasped at her chest
and spoke in shortened anxious breaths
of how she feared it looked like rain
feared she was the only woman
and was any other feeling cold
and was that breeze a trifle bold
a friendship bracelet bound her wrist
she declared herself a humanist

next came a man of not quite forty
with trilby angled on the jaunty
his countenance was bright and friendly
his leather jacket worn and trendy
and on his lapel in neat medaled line
ran coloured badges as a sign
of where he had marched and whom he fought
in constant strife of justice sought
for bombs disarmed to till the soil
securing blood for men and not for oil
but the badge he held in most esteem
wore pride of place to buckle jeans
hand crafted it was with much bravura
it was the crucified che guevara
and as it was by a catholic made
who plied his wares to the tourist trade
three LED lights shone bright green
to show che's features quite serene
this feature after sunday mass
amazed the children and made them laugh
thus he sought to break the ice
and lead them to his message nice
that jesus too was just like che
they both robbed the banks of their day
so confused was the doctrine of this vicar
that the bishop despaired and many sniggered
but the heresy was not that great
and it did put dough in the collection plate
so they left him thus to fish his sea
he was very liberal C of E

now despite our meeting in the woods
the next among us wore a hood
he claimed he was a wanted man
on account of eating ham
he preferred to stay behind a tree
we shouldn't worry he could see
and would offer freely his opinion
unless it happened that his cousin
might be out to walk his dog
and happen up through the bog
that lay just beyond where we gathered
we should know his cousin was called javed
his boxer dog was called khan
we must hoot like an owl to give alarm
before we could object or agree
perchance an owl made him flee
we saw him no more and knew not his fate
that poor islamic apostate