Seeing Things Only Poem by Herbert Nehrlich

Unbeknownst to four Koalas
who were snoozing by the pond
and the two spotted impalas
who had wandered just beyond
the confines of Neville's station
on a Sunday evening stroll.

But the outback's no vacation,
it can take a gruesome toll
on the innocent and curious,
who, when bored or slightly brave,
look at all the new and spurious
critters in and near the cave
of the Uluru environs.

Which can be of consequences
reminiscent of Greek sirens
once you venture past the fences.

And it happened as it must,
first a lion, then a leopard
came with the intent to bust
this ensemble without shepherd.
Said Impala to Koala
'you don't need to worry kids,
nor to pray to God or Allah,
what you see, it ain't no blitz
by a leopard or a lion,
we don't have those in Australia
what appears that they are eyeing
is illusion or a failure
of the system in the heat.
To adapt to these conditions.
Anyway, please do not bleat
or display those brown emissions,
like scared bananas growing straight.

The sun is down, it's getting late,
let us not run back to the farm
as if the predators existed,
again, no reason for alarm,
these critters are not even listed
on Canberra's last census roll.

That very moment saw a blur,
the lion coming, giving all
and as he ripped apart the fur
of four Koalas with his claws,
the leopard now secured his meat.
All animals could see the flaws
in theory no true defeat
could hit them under current rules.

So, all stood still when terror struck
and all were slaughtered like dumb fools.
It was a matter of bad luck.