“……and have you ever heard an old crow belly-laugh?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“……and have you ever heard an old crow belly-laugh?”

 

 

 

 

Old Crow spots a lush field of succulent peas,

Hiding under fronds stretching for miles under evergreens.

High mountain-valley meadow holding much to please

And sighing caws does Old Crow beak over these worthy beans.

 

 

Just now Old Crow spies there a gorgeously plummaged one,

A veritable Lady Crowser so daintily pecking at just one pea.

Pretty, pretty most specialest beauty of a lady, so madey

Like those peas to please all friends and mostly Old Crow in plea.

 

 

Just as Crow circles to swoop down to bow to this Lady,

Ugly Cird calls about far away sounds from the riverine seasides:

“Such ugly, ugly bawling sqawling voice we uns do hear, ol’ Matey”

“Can we uns gather pease and quick, quick, get away to friend’s cave, besides?”

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“……Oh, who is that telling us we cannot give up?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“……Oh, who is that telling us we cannot give up?”

 

 

 

Stoppely, poppely, trammely, scammely friends did go down:

Go down in heaps of arms and legs and noses and ears so warped

As they squeezed into ever more narrow trails to reach a crown

Of glory they knew only by report, never seen yet as they carped.

 

 

“Oh, we uns so measely, so weasely wid all dis fallin’!

“Why, oh why, canst we not just lie down to die?

“Why, oh, why canst we not be done, not countin’, so smallin’?

“Weez be better for feedin’ de weeds in dis earth, no more to try!”

 

 

Then came whirlwind and dark, then oh-so-bright and still:

The Voice: “Where were you when I made the rocks and the weeds?

“Where were you when I set all these sunrays and starbrights to thrill?

“Where were you when I set this clear, narrow path for questing deeds?”

 

 

“Hark and bark, ye knockin-noggin critters!” called down Old Crow.

“Hear now the voice of Your Lord telling of all His Power to hold you,

“To hold you on this path, to uphold you in His Care, all for to show

“His Glory in making so great rewards and crowns for the true-blue.”

 

 

“……how can we find our way?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“……how can we find our way?”

 

 

 

“How dare’st we go down yon slope?

“No footsie holds we seez, only tumblin’ rocks!”

Thus did Mistress Mouse and Rooster and Spottedty Goat all groan without hope,

As Rainbow Fly and Old Crow called to march on with pulled-up socks.

 

 

”Oh, weez has such nice clean bright Safe Room!

“Why weez even need to leave such sweet dear spot?”

Huddled in crooning more and more friends all a-boom,

E’en while Crook-Eye and Bush Nose pointed to new found slot.

 

 

“Oh, ye timid ones, ye anxious ones, look ye sharp round that first bend!

“Look ye close to find narrow way, twixt those rocks and thorns!

“For The One knows just the space ye needs to send

“Those toes and claws down so safely held like new-borns.”

 

“……and Jitters did WHAT for that little injured girl?”

 

 

 

 

“……and Jitters did WHAT for the abused girl we found?”

 

 

So friends in circling love laved herbs and oils on battered child.

So critters in crooning bowing eased twinight’s falling shades.

So all questers ne’er doubted the Light would wait e’er so mild.

So blessings and healings and hummings covered all in glades.

 

“What, what? Hark, hark!  Bark, bark! So snark a jumper enters here,”

cried all friends at once as new dancer, new prancer, Mr. Jitters did come.

“Me, Mr. Jitters, me flips and trips all ’bout ye healin’,come to wipe tear

of bashin’ from this dear girlie eye wid me dancin’ and me totin’ like a bum.”

 

So Mr. Jitters did swing, so sweet, dear girl to broad shoulder of mercy.

So all friends did gasp and swoon and fall to praying knee at such a jest,

Yet jest bearing light of fresh-born hope to face born by such nursey,

Such new hope face alight in swinging by Jitters,all bouncing blessed.

 

 

“……and suddenly we heard singing!”

 

 

 

“……and suddenly we heard singing!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, now, dear friends and fellow travelers, we watch,we swatch,

Sturdy loving critterly folk make their rugged way o’er water and rock

Ever looking up, ever guided by the Winged Ones, in quest so splotch

With bramble and thorn and glitter and song of wind with heart to stock.

Let us now hold back and listen so still in thrill at climb up a notch

In trail under Wing and Bill shone next ray of Light none could mock.

 

 

“Be quietsy, ye ol’ Stumpy Woman, no snortsing of Bush Nose do make;

“For weuns do stretch heartstring to hear sweetsie note by yon lake:”

Thus did friends and critters all did rest with all steps did forsake

To listen and watch and stretch their souls out to veriest edge of calm take.

 

 

Toes whispering in the grass,

Fingers whispering the honeysuckle

Tongue whispering in the ice,

Lips whispering in the search.

 

 

Windy sun chasing joy;

Tossing branches weaving birds.

Purple perfume smoothing steps;

Dewdropping grasses washing minds.

 

 

Chirping birds, chipping old stump.

Rustling grasses, flaking old skin.

Floating petals, drying bloom edges.

 

 

“The least, the least!” cried Old Crow.

“Ne’er forget the least,” scraped Grasshopper.

She pondered, “All these berries be enough?”

 

 

And so did friends find battered Lil Child

‘neath a poking bramble, near to fainting

And so did friends lift up bleeding Lil Child

bringing saved one to healing juice in painting.

 

 

 

 

 

WE WOBBLIES AND WE SQUABBLIES

SQUABBLING OVER WOBBLES WE GO MERRILY ON!

“No, we’uns may unt go so fast.”

“Yes, we needs hurry and scurry, so Blast!”

“No, all Floppies and Moppies, looky-looky”

“Yes, stompy ones and rompy ones, spooky,spooky!

Dose shadows and darklings creep all round.”

So pushed and pulled and stumbled and crumbled

our friends in fray never ceased moans mumbled.

So tucking of heads and slapping of keds

our friends still made way to uphill beds.

Never failing dose shadows and darkling to astound.

“Why we needs grab one the other round bush and rock?”

“Hush, hush, all bushies and mushies do take stock!”

“What meansies thee scolding us like teensies?”

Why, some higheye must see bye ‘n bye, you crock!”

Always kicking dose shadows and darklings back to ground.

So leaning and keening and pushing and crushing

our friends in straining arrayed on higher mushing.

So heltering skeltering shadows behind

our friends eared and eyed and nosed to light in kind.

Slapping dose shadows and darklings back in a mound.

“Why, how we up so high, how we see whole light?”

“You ever hope in lope with jewely rope”

“Why we not all tumbley-mumbley down with blight”

“You ever faced up, ever traced frowards by scope.”

                                                                                                                                                                              Squabbling dose shadows and darklings into da ground.

STAGGERING UPHILL STRAIGHT AHEAD

 

 

 

STAGGERING AHEAD UPHILL

 

Squeaky, squashy, mishy, mashy, we go

grabbing that one, pushing this one

Sometimes whiney, sometimes finey, Bro;

 

Do we take this here crookelly road

appearing to wander all shadey to the right?

Or do we take leftelly path bumpy like Toad?

 

Then old benty shepherd raised his Crookeye

wavering and weavering overhead

Then and there stilling in glare therebye.

 

Ol’ Crookeye doth set mind straight ahead

Finding more light just over ridge up yonder

Telling we needs stumbly bumbly up to bed.

 

We seeking light needs stagger uphill

We seeking light needs crawl straight ahead

We seeking right no turns for thrill.

 

So pushing, leaning, clutching, keening

all friends in critterly, unfolkly quest

turn not to right or left only up for meaning

 

For guiding Crookeye doth a glint, a spark

peekeling out from rock and twig and thorn

high on the crest to draw all folk out of dark

 

 

Note:  For learning of Crookeye, refer to December Posts during the time of advent