In The Morning Were The Dirty Handprints Of The Civet Cat Poem by Raj Dronamraju

A friend of my father in law gave him a trash bag full of freshly picked fruit - Mangoes, papayas, lychees, guavas
Which was left outside by the back door near the kitchen

In the morning, the bag appeared rifled through
And torn in places
Several pieces of fruit were gone
Bits of skin and pulp were left on the ground at the scene of the crime

A row of small dirty handprints on the house's white exterior wall went up and down the drainpipe
Hinting at furious action and a preference for the lychee

The civet cat is not a cat at all
Nocturnal thief found throughout Africa and Asia
Ringed tail and pointed snout and elongated body

In the morning, the sun was paper thin and nature was clumsy
Plenty for all to go around
The civet took sustenance and left behind inspiration