a gentle flame on
frayed wick
casts
animal projections on
denude walls like
celluloid wildfire
  
            of               raccoons who gaze upon
                              owls assembling in parliament to convict
                              magpies who ******, while  
                              herring skip school to watch
                              coyotes in cover bands,
                              monkeys in droves of carloads meet
                              wolves en route, and make a pact with
                              lions standing proud over
                              mice who cause mischief

a menagerie dancing in flickered beckons,
converging towards epic denouement