Jenny Joseph: Another Tale of Hare and Tortoise

Jenny Joseph

Another Tale of Hare and Tortoise

1987

There was something I forgot to tell you when I told you the story

How the one animal, splendid, desirable, eager

Life tingling in its limbs, was admired by all

And how the other

Arrived when nobody was actually looking.

They said it was his desire to win – obstinacy.

Nobody else was there. He said he got there.

We were all gathered round the starry hare

Succouring his weakness.

(His faint was only a lapse; he was a splendid runner).

But even if it’s true what tortoise said

We were not there to greet him at his win.

The world had gone elsewhere

We wanted to be with hare.

The loneliness of saying “I won” to nothing by emptiness!

He was not liked. He worked for what he got

And always so damned fair.

It was much more fun with hare.