Stopping To Ponder

----------------

You wouldn’t hire
a fox
to reinvent
the henhouse
And you wouldn’t
task a mute
to shout
“The Enemy’s Approaching”

You wouldn’t
date a woman
another’s love
she carries
And you wouldn’t
give a hand
to a foe who’s pledged
to bite it

You wouldn’t
show your cards
to a double-dealing
cheater
And you wouldn’t
trust a bard
who can’t read his words
with feeling

You wouldn’t
take the time
from an hourglass
that’s empty
And you wouldn’t
stop to ponder
on an answer
— without question

(Dreamsleep: January, 2026)