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Toad Tropes
With the coming of spring,
The chatter of birds at dawn
And the croak of toads at dusk
Fill the warm and floral air. 
I often amuse myself with wondering
What exactly they are talking about. 
What is it that the male bird sings
To make the lady birds swoon? 
Does he speak of past affairs, 
Distant adventures,
Some love sonnet he wrote during the night?
Or the loyal toad, the throaty croak,
Full of tall tales and smooth flirtations
That render the female frogs smitten
On their lily pads. 
Surely the adolescent ducks, just girls, 
Are gossiping about what they ate for breakfast
And whether the mallard is more handsome
Than the muscovy,
All while the squirrels are debating about
Which tree is more comfortable to perch in
As they crack open the rest of their winter savings. 
Not to mention the rabbits, who are
Twitching their noses to determine 
If there will be a hurricane this June, and 
What to name it if so, 
But also, watch out for Mr. Coyote
As he’s looking skinny these days
And rumor has it, he’s now a Conservative. 
The lizard bobs his head, eavesdropping,
But also thinking about how humid it is outside
And whether he should purchase 
A new air conditioning unit. 
The bee wishes he could purchase such a unit—
He’s saving up, however, as he only has 
A few more months before he reaches his
Five month lifespan.
He is a bee, after all.
Sophia Chen
Published in Issue 42