Pachyderms on Parade
Birdie, birdie up in the sky
Aren't we glad
Elephants cannot fly.
Railroad crossings
Look out for the cars
How do you spell that
Without any R's?
Hide, hide the cow's outside
The time has come
To speak of many things
And quote silly rhymes.
Let us talk of elephants with wings
Of prophets walking on water
Hail Mary Queen of Kings
Purple cows and Royal flushes
Beat four of a kind.
Friends, Romans and country men
Lend me your ears, Father would recite
Why on earth would I want
Theirs even on a loan
Only one in five dies in the dentist chair.
Why is it on the verge of tears
The world facing a nuclear melt down
I remember most
My father's words and tales.
Elephants with wings
Purple cows and green eggs
And the lady that swallowed the fly.
As the world comes to a close
I will chuckle over Mr. Toad's wild ride
Atop a winged elephant of his making.
J. Binford-Bell
October 2011
For more takes on elephants with wings see Magpie Tales #85
Oh! This is an incredibly fine piece. I'll do more than a couple of re-reads!
ReplyDeletewhat a fantastical journey through your words...nice ref through out to childrens books and tales...i will join toads wild ride...
ReplyDeleteVery good. But . . . dare I visit the dentist again?
ReplyDeleteA rich mixture, I thought, of tongue-in-cheek and something serious to say. I think I shall have to come back later for another read.
ReplyDeleteYour poem was pure fantasy! Loved it.
ReplyDeletevery clever assortment!
ReplyDeleteA magical journey....love this Jacqui! :-)
ReplyDeleteA fantastic ride through the fantasy world you created for us. Nicely done!
ReplyDeletehttp://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/treasure/
Great read of a whimsical take on this week's Magpie, Jacqui. Enjoyed it a lot.
ReplyDeleteA lot of literary allusions in this one!
ReplyDeleteMy Contribution
such a fantastical journey you take us one
ReplyDeleteThis is a very popular image this week. I have read several poems this week on this image of flying elephants well done and I still love this image but never considered an elephant that could fly before
ReplyDeletehttp://gatelesspassage.com/2011/10/05/today%e2%80%99s-feelings/
Great use of allusions to a variety of texts. Brill poem.
ReplyDeleteHere is my entry:
http://jackedwardspoetry.blogspot.com/2011/10/everyone.html
I've just had the most magical of rides. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe imagery you created was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteVery creative re-mixing of imagery from the standard childrens' works. You may enjoy the children's poem I posted today.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun read. Mr Toad on an elephant that can fly. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteMelanie
The powerful but subtle influence of a father's time spent with us when we're young...you couldn't have put it better than in this poetic form.
ReplyDeleteRosie
homely piece.
ReplyDeleteyou have outstanding imaginations.
I love the imagination in this; I can imagine children would love the flow, and it works just as well for adults too.
ReplyDeleteWhimsical and allusive! Takes several tries to find your way through all the lines to the next world - makes you think!
ReplyDeleteamazing imagination shared, smiles.
ReplyDelete