Once upon a time
there was a meeting of
all the animals
in the forest.
They met, happily,
under the giant oaks
for shade and
protection
and comfort
and,
above all,
because
it seemed to be
the right thing to do.
You know,
oakey dokey.
One of the creatures,
an older one,
with long fur,
and pretentious lips,
and very long horns,
suddenly stood up,
stretched, nodded
and let out
the loudest,
most disgusting
FART.
Now, mind you,
even the most
vile, malodorous
cloud of viciousness
will dissipate
rather rapidly
in the open air.
It's called
airing out.
So, no harm done.
Right?
Yet, when the same
creature,
the older one,
with long fur
and pretentious lips
and very long horns,
came back
at the next meeting
she wasn't welcome
at all.
By anyone.
At all.
But she also
had,
being older,
very bad ears.
So she was
the last one
to get the hint.
And she,
being older,
with long fur,
and having
bad ears,
and pretentious lips,
and very long horns,
also was suffering,
or perhaps enjoying
a poor sense
of smell.
So she never knew
about the rotten
and smelly
interior.
But it was
another shortcoming
and they all
knew it
and they all
told her.
And finally,
the penny dropped,
right before
her next
FART.
Herbert Nehrlich
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-smell-came-back/
