The Compost Mouse
Hello! I am the Compost Mouse.
I used to have a little house
inside a wooden compost bin,
the type some folks put food scraps in.
For months or more, I’d had to roam,
until I found my lovely home,
a place to chat with fly and flea,
and maybe raise a family!
The floors were fungi – what a treat!
The walls were peelings I could eat –
potato, carrot. And my bed
was freshly made from mouldy bread.
I had crushed eggshell ceilings too –
so smart! I often cheered, “Woo-hoo!”
until my roof was raised – Crrr-eak! –
and someone gave a fearful shriek!
Next thing I knew, there came a cat!
“Yee-ow, yee-ow!” it howled. And that
was that – I had to run away
and find a safer place to stay.
Now I’ve a big house just next door,
with stronger walls and fungus floor –
and, deepest in the compost heap,
my twelve dear babies, sound asleep!
I used to have a little house
inside a wooden compost bin,
the type some folks put food scraps in.
For months or more, I’d had to roam,
until I found my lovely home,
a place to chat with fly and flea,
and maybe raise a family!
The floors were fungi – what a treat!
The walls were peelings I could eat –
potato, carrot. And my bed
was freshly made from mouldy bread.
I had crushed eggshell ceilings too –
so smart! I often cheered, “Woo-hoo!”
until my roof was raised – Crrr-eak! –
and someone gave a fearful shriek!
Next thing I knew, there came a cat!
“Yee-ow, yee-ow!” it howled. And that
was that – I had to run away
and find a safer place to stay.
Now I’ve a big house just next door,
with stronger walls and fungus floor –
and, deepest in the compost heap,
my twelve dear babies, sound asleep!
This poem is copyright (©) Felicity Teague 2023

About the Writer
Felicity Teague
Felicity Teague (Fliss for short) has a very serious job in publishing and enjoys writing poems during her playtime. Her poetry has appeared in a number of journals, including The HyperTexts, Snakeskin and The Ekphrastic Review. From 2014 to 2016, she was Poet-in-Residence of Happenstance Border Morris, a Morris dancing group in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. She also enjoys art, birdwatching, films, music and photography, and she loves guinea pigs!