in an orange garden

by bofa xesjum

perhaps you would prefer one of these tasty orange scones. what taste do they have? red riding hood asked grandmother. presumably the taste of oranges, grandmother countered the question contentedly but in that case, why not just eat an orange? what a tiresome child, grandmother thought for the hundredth time. it was what is often loosely termed a lovely day. the death dealing barbarians were supposedly two hundred miles away. you young people are all the same, grandmother observed absently. how trite, red riding hood thought, but did not say. a parakeet flew overhead, heading west, toward the flowing river. red riding hood suddenly felt an urge to say something . but remembering her promise to mrs roberts, the housekeeoer, refrained. julius, the butler, watched from the safety of the woods. he understood the situation but did not approve of it. a grasshopper jumped through the grass and onto grandmother’s shoe. what good can come of this, red riding hood mused. a great quiet enveloped the lawn and the blue sky. reminding red riding hood of the kindness of the abbess. she fell asleep, quite oblivious of her rudeness to grandmother. grandmother was happy to indulge her, closing her own eyes. suddenly both were awakened by a mighty shout behind them. the barbarians poured out of the trees into the garden. the mighty chief of the barbarians presented himself to grandmother. he bowed to her perfunctorily, while eyeing red riding hood. and just who might you be, grandmother asked him composedly. only a poor swordsman, in the service of the whirlwind. and are you only passing through, or staying a while? we have marched a long way, and desire some refreshment. i am afraid i am not operating a refreshment establishment. the barbarian laughed politely at grandmother’s desperate attempt at sangfroid. really, i expected better from the queen of the wolves. what did you expect? and what do you expect now? i expect courtesy from the fairly conquered, the barbarian replied. then i wish you speedy progress, continuing in your conquests. we would like a few tokens of your sincere appreciation. the horde had now formed a semicircle behind their leader. the barbarian turned his smiling gaze to red riding hood. very well, then, grandmother said, you know what you want. red riding hood, now wide awake, looked at the barbarian may i finish my scone? it is really quite tasty.

distant isles

by dog e relaford

adam had an apple billy had a berry christopher sailed the ocean blue daniel was not very eve had a dollar frank had a tip george took thejr money henry took a trip i never realized the joke was on me king richard had a lion’s heart but the lion got free mickey caught a moonbeam but the might was still dark omar sewed a sturdy tent peter preached in the park guinevere planted a garden where the rabbits ran wild solomon built a temple and sailed to distant isles unless the weather changes victory is in the air the wise men make escuses as the princess combs her hair young people nowadays don’t know what it was like when adam rode a camel and billy rode a bike

the tree

by walter w johnson iii

if the apple never falls from the tree if the bear never shakes the tree if the cat never chases the mouse if the dog never chases the cat if the elephant forgets if the frog never croaks at the princess if the gorilla never pounds his chest if the heart never breaks if i never conquer the world if the joker never gets a laugh if the king never saves his kingdom if the lion never roars if the moon is never lonesome if the nightingale never sings if the orange is never squeezed if the panther never pounces on the pilgrim if the queen never smiles in her quiet room if the rabbit never runs down the road if the saint is never lost in the forest if the turtle never sleeps in a hollow log if uncle harry never finishes his story if victory is never assured if the walrus never waves goodbye if expectation is never rewarded if youth is not served if the zebra loses his stripes if adam never finds eve what is to be believed? put a candle in the window to dispel the darkness everything will end unless it is saved forever

despair

by tom tophead

i woke up this morning with a feeling of despair my head was on the floor and my feet were under the chair rain was beating on the wall and seeping through the window and i wondered with all my heart and soul what had brought me so low i sat up and wondered, where had i been i put my hand in my pockets but of course they had been picked clean outside in the street a truck blew its horn and i wished that i had never been born but i had been born - i surely had so there was no point in getting mad the pertinent question was where was i the rain continued to fall from the sky i sat there wondering why and wherefore when suddenly there was a knock on the door after a last glance around the little room i closed my eyes and awaited my doom later that evening at her majesty’s ball i stood in the corner and read the writing on the wall the rebel armies were advancing from the south the glass fell from my hand and the cigar from my mouth the generals were talking to a maiden fair of whose existence i had not been aware who is that ravishing creature, i asked the black prince but he passed me by, and i have not seen him since the room began spinning, and the walls to shake i wondered how much more i could take perhaps you are asking yourself the same thing but if we wait for a moment the birds will sing who are these wise men invading my dreams do they not realize nothing is what it seems i wrote them a letter a long time ago and for my good intentions have nothing to show

freedom on the corner

by dog e relaford

willie had a boo-boo johnny had a kangaroo they partied hearty with big artie because that is what they were born to do my daddy was a railroad man my mama was a giant squid you can try to hide forever but i know what you did genghis stood on the corner and said to omar khayyam all i wanted was to be free but you do not know who i am all i wanted was to be free and live my life untrammeled won’t you buy this set of dishes made of the finest enamel i wish i had a little dog who came when it was called my uncle joe wore red bow ties and my uncle bob was bald i went downtown to see the show but it was all sold out a band of angels surrounded me and gave a mighty shout now you know how it all started and why i live in a tree the world was there for the taking but you were not nice to me sally had an aardvark who liked sandwiches of cheese one night there was an earthquake and he was gone like a cool breeze

what i have learned from reading a million books in 10,000 lifetimes

by anonymous

there are people - they are probably people, but who knows ? - who rule the world they have ruled it since “the beginning of history” - about 6000 years ago or maybe longer they have complete control over human life, and all life on earth the greatest heroes, the most dedicated revolutionaries, the wisest sages are helpless against them the rulers grind the heroes, the rebels, the sages, into powder and laugh at them every day you and i and the whole human race are their helpless pawns there is an occasional pathetic stab at an uprising but it is quickly shut down they always win there is no light on the horizon and no horizon there is no light at the end of the tunnel and no tunnel and yet - this is the strange part - they, the rulers, are complete idiots who know nothing figures of fun mocked and cursed not only by the wise but by every passing bum or clown or bag lady a newborn child, a cat, a dog, a stone, know more than they why is this? how can this be? do you have any thoughts on this?

jojo

by dog e relaford

jojo went down to the river to buy his poor dog a bone but the river was dry no birds flew in the sky and he was all alone jojo reached into his pocket to find a nickel or a dime but his dog ran away and had nothing to say and jojo was out of time jojo went down to the city to see what was going on in the courthouse and jail there was nothing for sale and he silently watched the dawn jojo went down to the seashore to watch civilization collapse the best and the worst the last and the first are now just splendid chaps