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Open Poetry #45
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Lighthousebob
Member Elite
since 2000-06-14
Posts 4725
California

0 posted 2009-10-20 05:52 PM



The Artist and the Porcupine
and the Battle for the Painted Desert

The desert sun was beaming down,
Was beaming its demise:
He did so for he loved to see
His face within the skies—
And this was odd, because, you know,
The sun can burn your eyes.

Well, Mother Earth was quite upset
With sun’s impudent state
And took it on herself to cause
His ego to deflate—
“Your very rude!” she said with dread
And made moon his soul mate.

The moon did spoon the sunny dunes
With her amazing glow
While sun just shunned embarrassment
To show his moon, you know,
And Mother Earth, well, laughed with glee
When stars all winked, “Hello!”

The Artist and the Porcupine
Shot hoops upon the shore
Of barren lake of which its wakes
Poured out what once in poured
And, though they both grew weary,
Their score was two to four.

Now, they surmised it a surprise
They'd even scored at all,
Because they had no hoop to loop
And had no basket ball,
But, yet, it seemed the normal thing
That well shots, well, should fall.

“Say, can I shoot some hoops with you?”
The hissing Rattler hissed,
“I’ve played B-ball for many years,
And, yet, I’ve scarcely missed:
I promise you some wicked shots!
Come, now, you can’t resist!”

The Artist thought, “How can it be?
How can this serpent play?”
The Artist figured it must be
Some trick, some slick display—
And, so, he quickly picked it up
And threw the ball his way.

The Rattler grabbed the ball at once
And swiftly pose did choose,
Once scrambled down the court with ease
And scoring threes and twos—
And this was odd, because, you know,
The serpent wore no shoes.

“It seems to me,” the Rattler said,
“You’ve really got this down,
So let’s play now, right now, today
To see who owns this town!
And, then, my friends, we’ll, in the end,
We’ll know who wears the crown!”

The Artist and the Porcupine
Agreed to take him on—
“But, Wait!’ the Rattler, then, replied
With lisp and with a yawn,
“This is not fair! There’s two of you!
…For this I am withdrawn.”

“OK,” the Artist said, “I see,
We want this to be fair,
So, let’s talk rules—Like artist’s tools;
What size? What brush? What hairs?
And, if, on palettes, colors bleed,
Can those to prose compare?”

“I don’t know what you’re saying, Dude,”
The eager Rattler said,
“But, if you want to play B-ball,
It best you check your head
And concentrate on playing straight
And worry less instead.”

“I choose the Devil,” said the snake
“He is my coach, my friend
And he will never let me down,
On him I can depend—
Now, if you’re ready, Wannabes,
Let’s let the games begin!”

“Just wait a few, Without-a-clues,
This desert must be done,
But, since, it’s this, that you insist,
We’ll stop and have some fun—
… I think you’d best be on your ways,
You’ve got the ball! Now, Run!”

The Artist stomped the Devil’s head
And grabbed the Rattler’s tail—
And, slung out on the desert sand,
The serpent squirmed and flailed
Until, at last, its life had passed
And, there, became the trail.

The Porcupine just shrugged his spine,
“I thought there’d be more fight?”
“Of course not, my dear prickly friend,
Their barks were worse than bites!
Now, if you will, please, one more quill
That I might paint this site.”


God bless,
Lighthouse Bob






[This message has been edited by Lighthousebob (10-21-2009 11:25 AM).]

© Copyright 2009 Robert E. Michaud Jr. - All Rights Reserved
martiniat8
Senior Member
since 2003-06-21
Posts 897
Prague, Bohemia, Czech Republic
1 posted 2009-10-20 06:07 PM


Love the ending, bob!
Mysteria
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Member Laureate
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328
British Columbia, Canada
2 posted 2009-10-20 06:16 PM


You certainly do paint this site wih your words.  My little grand daughter is here, and I read this aloud to her.  Her comment?  That dumb snake - he picked the devil and anyone knows you never win when you do that!

So your message was loud and clear.  

If this is for a challenge you sure must have met it Bob.  Tasha loved your poem as did I.

    
Sláinte mhaith!
Mysteria

Lighthousebob
Member Elite
since 2000-06-14
Posts 4725
California
3 posted 2009-10-23 11:55 AM



martiniat8,

I’m really, really glad that you liked the end in that I was holding on to it until that perfect moment when I finally thought that it should be revealed and, also, seeing it is a kind of long poem in comparison to the usual postings here, I’m really happy that you actually held on and kept on reading all the way through. WoW! Thank you!


Sharon,

You’re such a wonderful, Wonderful morale booster! Thank you! Thank you! I know you know this already, but, anyway, it’s written in God’s Word that from the mouths of children God has perfected praise and, well, what better compliment could this poem have received than the one it did from your precious, Precious Grandbaby. WoW! Thank you! Thank you! and Thank you!


-Bob



BluesSerenade
Member Patricius
since 2001-10-23
Posts 10549
By the Seaside
4 posted 2009-10-30 12:12 PM


A classic tale for sure!!
As always, you leave me smiling so bright!

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