Saturday, October 18, 2014
THE INGLORIOUS INCIDENT OF THE KOOKABURRA IN THE DREAM-TIME
She slept so soundly, smiling sweet,
when suddenly, upon her feet,
a kookaburra lit, opened his beak,
and serenaded with his shriek.
"Oh why, oh why, oh why, oh why?
Just shoot me now and let me die.
This laughing fiend stole my sweet dream
and rends my brain with his shrill screams.
"Where did he come from, tell me, now.
How did he get in? Tell me how?
But even more, I beg you, plain,
how do I get him out again?"
The birdling cocked his head, and knew
she thought him an ungainly shrew.
A tear rolled softly from his eye;
he bleeped a mournful, muted sigh.
"Oh, poor burdle, how uncouth
you must think me but, forsooth,
you startled me within a dream.
I did not want to sound so mean.
"Do, pray tell, sing me again
and I will list' to your refrain."
The birdling sang, the woman beamed,
as beauteous as any dream.
Some fun for Kerry's prompt at Real Toads: to substitute words in a title and write a poem on the result. I chose "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time", and while I would rather have written about the dog, this pesky bird started rapping on my head with his beak!
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Sherry, the title is great! And your poem is bright, creative, funny!
ReplyDeleteHa.. Waking from a birdling like that would scare me to hell.. I wonder if I would have given in to his tears.. Love the rhymes... works wonders ..
ReplyDeleteThis really gave me a smile, Sherry! The sound of a kookaburra would definitely wake me up with a start.
ReplyDeleteinteresting-creative
ReplyDeleteI love where you took us with this, Sherry! What an interesting creature indeed and I enjoy the dreamscape aspect that you brought to the poem as well...I listened to him a few times...I really like the ending sound...sounds almost prehistoric.
ReplyDeleteYou did well, Sherry, both with the title which you changed quite creatively and with the poem itself. It is an unusual bird indeed, just the name and its sound are enough to make one crack up.
ReplyDeletethanks for the smile Sherry...i like this kookaburra.. its name sounds onomatopoeic..though i'm not sure how i'd react if i heard its call while in a dream :)
ReplyDeleteHaha! This is so fun, Sherry, from title to close!
ReplyDeleteI was awoken this morning by the telephone, also in the middle of a dream, so this poem makes perfect sense to me right now. Kookaburras are the most amazing birds!
ReplyDeletegood one and love the title
ReplyDeleteKookaburra. Weird people.
ReplyDeletea fun piece, thanks for the smiles :)
ReplyDeleteThey sound even better in the wild with the scent of eucalyptus trees in the intoxicating warmth of Australia.
ReplyDeleteI remember the kookaburra very well from my childhood...is it a native of Australia's or New Zealand's? anyway, this was a fun read, enjoyed it and loved it for it made me giggle this Sunday morning!!! lol
ReplyDeleteThe video and the poem go very well together. Heheheh. Good stuff. I must now try to write something too.
ReplyDeleteI love your response Sherry ~ Cute video too ~
ReplyDeleteSadly no bird songs from my part of the city now ~
When something amazing thing happen, we wish to count it on again.. That bridling dream song goes well..! :)
ReplyDeleteWhen you leave your own territory you give us even more delights! I enjoyed this strange bird in your poetic setting. What a noise she makes! What an effort it takes at times to love a stranger's song! I like the echo of Poe's Raven in this piece too. Fun.
ReplyDeleteVery inventive and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteboth funny and sweet Sherry.may you have better nights!
ReplyDeleteenjoyed this fun read. :)
ReplyDeletei learned about the kookaburra when we were taught this song at school : "kookaburra sat on the old gum tree..."
We all sang this at school too
Deletekookaburra sits in the old gum tree
"merry merry king of the bush is he
laugh kookaburra laugh
kookaburra gay your life must be"
In 2010 an intellectual giant attempted to have the word gay removed from this song. There was a public outcry and so it remains. So, yes it is official, kookaburras are gay !
Sherry what a wonderful, playful verse that made me smile...perfect in response to this birds refrain!
ReplyDeleteDonna@LivingFromHappiness
Aww...what a sweet poem, Sherry. Loved it...! I think, these noisy Kookaburras were one of the three mascots chosen for Summer Olympics in Sydney...
ReplyDeleteAs Abin said, 'may you have better night'..! Hahaha..
Pure fun, Sherry. I'm glad the bird knocked and you listened. :)
ReplyDeleteRollicking and fun... what a way to wake up!
ReplyDeleteAh...talking about compassion....poor bird got scared....
ReplyDeleteha. i am glad the bird brightened your day, even if he did rap on your head...lol....
ReplyDeleteNice tale, Sherry. I've never seen a kookaburra although I don't know why. Alaska, B.C, the Yukon?.
ReplyDeleteNow I feel I know them a little better. Thank you.
..
a story....so well expressed...making the dream actual1
ReplyDeleteThis part is what I really like :)
ReplyDelete"Oh, poor burdle, how uncouth
you must think me but, forsooth,
you startled me within a dream.
I did not want to sound so mean.
Apple of Her Eyes
The rhyming is well done---so lyrical!
ReplyDeleteInteresting twist. I don't think I would have been so empathetic to a bird that sounds like he does. :)
ReplyDeleteI once woke to a woodpecker tapping on the skylight above my bed. Your poem brought it back to me. Lovely writing, Sherry.
ReplyDeleteLove it! Sort of like a twisted "The Raven!"
ReplyDeleteAww... This is so lovely!
ReplyDeleteSeems like the Kookaburra has a way of interrupting with its loud sing. Though I have to say, I would prefer a song; we've been having morning wakeups from a backhoe tearing a house down.
ReplyDeletethis was a really cute write, sherry. and it made me giggle quite a bit.
ReplyDelete'THE INGLORIOUS INCIDENT OF THE KOOKABURRA IN THE DREAM-TIME'.. Well that is some title. And loved the poem. Lovely work!
ReplyDeleteThis is an adorable poem Sherry. How perfectly you substituted words. One cannot read this without smiling.
ReplyDeletehow dare he?! :) ~
ReplyDelete