Failure, Not A Failing...

The hand held no hickory,
But thrashed with each sling;
In the hypnotic trickery,
The bob doubled as a swing.

Numbers, on paper and phone
And mind, and signs about;
Its cage, it'd nearly outgrown,
A snap away from a lout.

The leaves, drop after drop
After drop - a lost tussle;
The feet, clop after clop
Till the faces didn't justle.

Then, the stars were peeking,
The day had gleefully snailed;
The cuckoo wasn't squeaking,
Though plans had fully failed.