Faecal Footprints

(On reading of a book entitled The Interpretation
of Geological Time from the Evidence of Fossilised
Elephant Droppings in Eastern Europe.)

Though that fickle Grecian floozy’s
   Kept it, till today, unsung,
Petrified primaeval oozes
    May preserve an ancient tongue.

Lives of pachyderms inform us
    Beasts can soar to epic heights
And, departing, leave enormous
     Dumps of future coprolites.

Data-rich, well worth decoding,
    Dung from great grey long dead herds
Gets geologists downloading
    Time’s own language, giant turds.

So then, Fido, if admonished
    That your motions foul the nest,
Look ahead, and see, astonished,
    Scholars read what dogs digest!

Jerome Betts

If you have any comments on this poem, Jerome Betts would be pleased to hear from you.