The Gnomes of Zurich

We all lived in harmony: Bill and Ben
-also known as the Flowerpot men -
Gloria the stone turtle and me, Eric,
a cross between a statue and a birdbath.
But not garden gnomes. Not then.
I considered myself to be the boss
of our little enclave and no one else
was allowed to disturb our privacy,
not even the owners of the house
or the fairies at the bottom of the garden.
So it was a shock when they arrived
with great fanfare, and much hype,
and lined up on each side of the path:
seven dwarves, but not the usual type;
they had bowler hats and briefcases
and were known as the gnomes of Zurich.
We knew the situation was contrived
and that caused our resolve to harden.
They were met with a choice invective
yet they seemed impervious to insults.
It became clear that a EU directive
had decreed that we should accept
the uninvited guests without demur
but it was beyond our comprehension
how such an imposition could occur.
Moreover there had been an addendum
to the treaty that had been ratified:
we could no longer hold a referendum
and that left most of us dissatisfied.

© Luigi Pagano 2009