What they never told you about Old Mother Hubbard
I’ve always found Old Mother Hubbard
and her poor dog
unbearably sad
the look on the mutt’s face
trusting
hopeful
and Hubbard’s too
her sing-song voice
how about a lovely bone
and then the thud in her belly
the blank stare of that empty cupboard
the innocent confusion on his faithful face
but today I found the rest of the lyrics
the pipe
the bit about him standing on his head
playing a flute
who decided to amputate such joy
like building a fair
but only letting people get as far
as the line-up
like God thinking
it was a fine idea
to let us lose people
behind the cloak of death
never revealing what happens next
no matter how much we beg.