The Rat King

A strange phenomenon happens when groups of rats link their tails. It's called a 'Rat King'. Common folkloric belief says happening across a rat king is a bad omen..

One autumn night 

On a stroll by the park

My skin felt the bite

Of the freezing cold dark.

The air crisp and clean

Today’s rain made the ground damp

All that could be seen

Was in the light of the lamp.

As I shivered and tread

Down the dimly lit street

What I saw ahead

Made my heart skip a beat!

There it was in a huddle

Rather rough on the eyes

This strange writhing muddle

Took me by surprise 

The sight only got worse

As I drew near

And as it dispersed

it filled me with fear

It was a pile of rats

Tangled up by their tails 

Mangled en masse

Squirming in the creepiest flails!

I had to leave

For I thought I’d be sick

You better believe

I ran away quick

And when I got home

I needed to know

So I opened up Chrome

To diagnose that horror show

It just so happens

I’ve witnessed the strangest thing

That pile of rodents overlapping

Is called a Rat King. 

What does it mean,

That terrible sight

That has been

Causing me this unbearable fright?

Legend has foretold 

That to be a witness 

Is a premonition forebode

Through the rats’ hiss.

Danger, your way comes

says the harbinger of bad news

My sanity in sums

Says I’ve lost a few screws.

What is my fate

surely grim it must be

Sheer terror awaits

that I’m frightened to see!

Reviews

[Dave Brown]

This proves that rats are good for something or else you wouldn't have written this great poem
However, it is getting closer to Halloween
Possibly your troubles aren't over yet