Mouse [Sestina]

"Though he be but little, he is fierce." -Shakespeare

He straggled up the wall that kept the enemy out
Mouse they called him, he climbed with the best
Nimble fingers of a boy shoved easily into cracks
They searched for him in the morning to no avail
His favorite cap lay on the haystack where he slept
The dogs found it, but by then the scent had fled

An orphan boy with no home but where he slept
Though his path lay broken, glue filled the cracks
They called him daft, but little Mouse knew best
When they cast their stones, to the woods he fled
Until he crept back to be, time again, chased out
Their stones only struck where branches availed

Years had passed since poor, young Mouse fled
The first time they gave no chase, he stayed out
And the haystack lay abandoned where he'd slept
Except for the cap everyone knew he loved best
The wall stood on, enemies attacked to no avail
But something bore evil about those small cracks

In fact, as Mouse grew bigger, as did the cracks
So the men, in their fear, they packed up and fled
After struggling to rebuild, but to no such avail
Soon they knew, the enemy could not be kept out
They bid goodbye to the home they loved best
The wall would not stand; the men had not slept

Centuries upon centuries, the wall would avail
So quiet and at peace, the men each night slept
No fear of their enemies, for they were kept out
How quickly thus ended, how cruel can be cracks
As cruel as the men from whom little Mouse fled
But little Mouse knew, what he now knows best

Began a mighty change, when worst begets best
When time reminds us, change prevails to avail
The wall came down, and where his enemies fled
Little Mouse crept up in the night while they slept
He peered in their tents through miniscule cracks
Muttering all the while, 'they dared keep me out.'

That night Mouse, a giant, slept his very best!
They tried to keep him out, but to no avail
He made use of the cracks from which bigger men fled