STORIES

My father's alter ego was a magician,
Powerful and diligent, yet his spells
Frequently went awry. Mongoose
Rarely had money and was usually
Looking for work. For a while
There were two of him, but his wife
(Known only as Mrs. Mongoose)
Sent one back into the mirror.
Before he was Mongoose, my father
Had experimented with being
The greatest detective in the world
A master of disguise, quite capable
Of solving the most baffling crimes
If he hadn’t been so often frustrated

By the fact that he was a flowerpot.