A Pariddle of Feral

Inside us live we have a hierarchy of creatures. This myth-poem is about captivity, ferality, and the parts of us that carry our souls to freedom.

For captive to go feral:
The mouse must carry the cat.
The cat must carry the dog.
The dog must carry the horse.
The horse must carry the elephant.
The elephant must carry the tiger.
The tiger must carry the dragon.

Only then can captive become feral.

When captive:
The mouse is skittish and runs away.
The cat forgets her claws.
The dog is chained.
The horse insists on standing alone.
The elephant stays quiet.
The tiger sleeps with his eyes shut tight.
The dragon thinks he’s a mouse.

For captive to go feral:
The mouse must be held softly.
The cat must be accepted.
The dog must be witnessed.
The horse must be valued.
The elephant must be allowed.
The tiger must be believed.
The dragon must feel the heat of his fire.

When captive:
The mouse thinks she can’t possibly hold all the weight but it’s the ground under her that does the work.
The cat thinks she needs to fake her power but she already has more than enough.
The dog thinks his nature is obedience, but it’s his own choice he needs to obey.
The horse thinks he doesn’t have enough to give to earn his place in the pack, but it is the pack that deserves him -- he just needs to receive.
The elephant thinks he can’t get the right tone, but it is only his signature sound that the tiger needs to hear.
The tiger thinks he’s in a dream but it’s the dream that’s the truth.
The dragon thinks he’s lost, but it is he who must choose the direction.

For captive to go feral:
The dragon must convince the mouse to stop running from shadows.
If the mouse stays, the cat will find her claws.
When the cat is powerful, the dog will break the chain.
When the dog fights for himself, the horse will join the herd.
Once the horse joins, the elephant will be free to sound his horn and wake the tiger.
When the tiger awakes and sees what’s around him, he can ask the dragon to show the way.
And the dragon will rise to the task.

When feral:
The mouse is the root of belonging.
The cat is the spiral of strength.
The dog is the chosen name.
The horse is the axis of the web.
The elephant is the message of truth.
The tiger is the pattern on the grid.
The dragon is the arrow of purpose.

For captive to go feral:
The mouse must carry the cat.
The cat must carry the dog.
The dog must carry the horse.
The horse must carry the elephant.
The elephant must carry the tiger.
The tiger must carry the dragon.

Only then can captive become feral.