The Mouse

I hear a mouse
Bitterly complaining
In a crack of moonlight
Aslant on the floor-

'Little I ask
And that little is not granted.
There are few crumbs
In this world any more.

'The breadbox is tin
And I cannot get in.

'The jam's in a jar
My teeth cannot mar.

'The cheese sits by itself
On the pantry shelf.

'All night I run
Searching and seeking,
All night I run
About on the floor.

'Moonlight is there
And a bare place for dancing,
But no little feast
Is spread any more.'

         Elizabeth Coatsworth