The Day of the Rat - snow shadow

by Snow Shadow

A rat is a rat.
You cannot say that,
In the Day of the Rat.

You cannot defend yourself for what you say,
This is not a game we play.

But you can call a bat a cat.
You can say that.

You can call a dog a frog,
Tell a bear he is a hare.

But you cannot call a rat a rat.
No. You can never say that.

The rats can all say as they wish,
Living in their protected bliss,
Calling you every name —
Every name, take the blame.

But you cannot call the rat a rat.

No — you cannot say that.

Let’s call the louse a mouse —
The eagle a beagle —
The tick a chick.
Call the dull a star, an animal a car,
The sun the moon.
You’ll get it soon.

But always know where you cannot go:
And you cannot call a rat a rat.

No. You cannot do that.

For the Day of the Rat is our time.
And you can be walking along just dandy and fine
When the rat squeals out in your direction
Slandering you, and looking for every imperfection.

And the rat — he may even claim the rat is you
The rat — he may claim he is also a rat, too
He can call you every name under the sun —
Every insult, every single one.

But you — you cannot call the rat a rat.

No, you cannot do that.

You take every insult from where you’re sat,
Or go to jail for insubordinate chat.

For you cannot call the rat a rat.

No. You can never do that.

It matters not if he scurries around,
His tail flicking off the ground —
His nose just like the nose of a rat,
With long whiskers, but not like a cat —
And those mousy ears, but not like a mouse —
And he enters your home and he sh**s in your house —
He loves garbage and rotting decay —
Oh, he’s a rat all right.

But you still cannot say
That a rat is rat.

No. You can never say that.

“Although I’d never say that a hat is a shoe, I’d be the first to say that a rat is a jew.

“Soon — very soon — we shall say a rat is a rat.”