A Monkey Tale

My mom’d just had a baby And so to give her space, My nana and my grandpa Took me to a special place. We passed a toy store on the way And quickly we were stopping. I found a doll I really loved; I’d nailed this thing called shopping. My nana loved to buy me things But mom had made it clear No matter what, there was to be No toy or souvenir. I left the store dejected But we drove on to the zoo. It cheered me and improved my mood, As zoos are wont to do. I noticed something rather strange – A monkey with no cage. At five years old the danger I was not equipped to gauge. As I bent down to pet it, Its reaction was pure fright. Before I knew what happened, I’d received a monkey bite! My nana was hysterical; I guess I was as well. The doctor stitched me up And I kept up my crying spell. To calm me down, my grandpa asked How can we stop those tears? A lightbulb flashed – the doll! I said, Quite clever for my years. And so I got a brand-new doll, Accessories to match. My grandpa’s guilt was dangling Like a prize for me to catch. The lesson that I learned was this: No matter your intent, A promise made is etched in sand More often than cement.