Once upon a Christmas donkey
Mary in labor was led to a door
The man inside took pity on the young couple
Allowed them to stay in his stable
Where animals kept watch
Four-footed, hooved, and horned,
They understood that magic was afoot
Joseph was grateful for the place to stay
Being a kind, empathetic humble man.
A star in the east followed the steps of the donkey
Waiting in anticipation for the birth of our Christ, baby Jesus
Excuse me if I come across as brusque,
but you exude a certain pungent musk,
as though you’ve grown up with the wildebeests,
or recently discovered ancient yeasts.
And so for your forgiveness, I do hope;
I really meant to stifle that last laugh.
For Christmas, I have given you some soap;
I find that it works wonders in the bath.
I also think you’ll have a better year;
in fact, I’m sure it will be quite improved
when not beset by all those rutting deer
and every other animal that’s hooved.
—————
for the Musk Poetry Contest
sponsored by Anthony Biaanco
written on 12/20/22
Fatigue and old age have so many layers:
When devils settle into joints, naps turn into marathon affairs.
Concentration gaps run rampant.
Remnants of zest circle the drain.
For certain youth has blown away.
A still fawn in the dry grass of life.
Just ahead -up a steep granite pass
Something feral, heavy-hooved, sniffing wind.
~~~T H E I N T R E P I D P E G A S U S~~~
Star angels, dance within the quartered, light,
Of lunars rise, the age of Virgos' flight,
Sense its need for virtuous surrender,
And abandon Dragon's breathing thunder,
Phasing anew splits the night horizon,
For the course exposed to half, has brightened,
Some dynamic tempo, magically,
Whereto, the expanse defies gravity,
Ventures beyond dusk and stretches for dawn,
Greets the vested midst the foes, thereupon,
Enters Pegasus who stomps and stresses,
North Star alights as hooved clouds releases,
Whilst spread wings flick and cast flight, Pegasus,
Then heralds the advent of Genesis.
Date: 08/30/2019
howmanysyllables
14 x a perfect 10
***The entitled suggested background music to read to...
Sheep
(Children's Rhyme by Joan Donnelly Ellis)
Sheep are neat
Come in a fleet
Sheep can leap
Over fences or on hills steep
Sheep sleep in a heap
Sheep bleat in the heat
Ride in a sheep jeep
People keep sheep
For their wool and meat
People eat sheep meat
Makes me weep
It isn't sweet
Sheep have feet
Hooved feet
Sheep wool is deep
Their friend is Bo Peep
Some keep sheep
as pets
that's neat
they were up there, on the stage,
" exotic dancers", the term they
gave; the tall one "Avalanche",
the shorter, "Aurora"
long black limbs , Aurora's, graceful
steps so Avalanche, her marble feet
pure snow
they intertwined and caught our men's
eyes, as we looked and fantasized of
being with one, or the other, (or both)
and the tepid rhythm rumbled on, from
speakers in the curtained roof, while mouths
dribbled and trousers moved, like stallions we
trampled hooved
and as the caravan of tempting lust, swung the
hip and charming bust, the distant sound of beer
and jar, chinkled from the busy bar
and down the mountain slope she came, Avalanche
a wild chicane, lit by Aurora's northern light,
G string gone and tassles free, thundered on
the mountain slope and sky,
and soon on trapeze across the room, over tables,
drinks, and cloudy hush, the twin nature's beauties
wearing only their bush, and below, the valley
the mountaineers, sweating in expectant gush
and when I trek among the peaks in dangerous
snow and coloured skies, I remember the twins,
one black one white, their avalanche and northern light
Tradition in old English proves
The plural for roof was once rooves
Back then grooves in courses
From heavy hooved horses
Formed goofs in the turf known as gooves
Author's note: We keep a dial telephone in the house so that the youts who visit us can try
it out! Many have never seen or used one before. And what does this nonsense have to do
with the above?
Our skin’s a splendid pigment blend
of browns and tans and milky white
in coffee creamed and sugared
Bittersweet.
A mighty steed compelled by lust
lays
cobblestone
Beneath the booted commonwealth
and is blessed to bask in the compassion of another.
A hooved stampede of pegasus
riding high
and heavy
panting out steam in long hollow gasps,
while grasping,
Clenching.
It was
nostrils flaring:
A primal storm of
upside downs
complete with shaking sound effects
and earthquakes of the back.
Shifting shoulder plates and arching up
we broke new ground then broke apart.
Moon goddess came to visit the forest last night
Riding on chariots driven by the velvet monkeys
Guarded by hornets and the armies of wasps
Beleaguered in obscurities by Obtaka the magician.
A maker of charms for the thieves and the lovers
Talisman of skies from paled skins of foreheads
Nail maker hooved webs of the antelopes
Shifter of the sharp swords for the reddish ants.
Striding solid at the hour of the midnight
Giving way to doorways to enter the corridors
Illuminated by the translucent light of the moon.
Tender are the dreams under the wider skies
Where buffalos roam in mud staked stripes
Conversing with mirrored spirits of golden ghosts
Witches, wizards, nymphs or other watery sports.
The chameleon on converse with the blizzards
Obeying the command to put spur on the lizards
The crocodiles, hippopotamus, ibis and the lion
Drinking at water holes under direction of wizard
Rocked white, stone turned hatches for the rabbits
Skin rigged, log wooded dug outs for the jackals
The eel of the deep laughing on its trailed dance
And Obtaka the magician roams in rugged stance.
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