Hard by the lilied Moat I saw
A duskish, greenish river-dragon stretched along,
The brown habergeon of his limbs glisten enamelled
With sanguine tailcock glasses and leftovers of Mamya’s buffet:
And on his back there lay a young one sleeping,
No bigger than a tiny dog; Alfie, with eyes like brown beads,
And a small fragment of the eight of Clubs
Remaining on his harmless, puppy snout;
A thing to laugh at, as he gaped to catch
The gambling cards. In the iron jaws
Of the great Moat-beast, like a pale soul
Fluttering in the Castle hell, lightsomely flew
A Gallus gallus domesticus, replete with Vodka’s Coronation Sauce
Devoured, before clearing the betting chips from his throat.
Strains of Wishbone Ash idling melancholically across the slimy water.
Llama’s arrived: A fifty pound note, nungate’s float, drifts idly by.
The Game is on; It’s Saturday evening at his Lady’s Castle.
Croc’s Delight, it’s the last Texas Hold’em on the cards tonight.