The Kangawrong

The Kangwrong

The kangawrong's a kangaroo
Who travels in reverse
They like to see just where they have been
Sometimes it is a curse.

Your wrongs are different from your roos
Or so some like to say
Their joeys ride upon their backs
And not the other way.

There was this time, out in the bush
I saw this kangawrong
She wasn’t watching where she hopped
Fell in a billabong.

There is a moral to my tale
Take care where you alight—
Unless you are a kangawrong
Cause wrongs are always right.
©2015 Lobo

The Octotree

The strangest thing you’ll ever see

this thing I call The Octotree

it's on the trail to Glenridge School

it seems to smile, but don’t be fooled.

When night descends and it is dark

the creature roam around the park

it dines on possum, vole and frogs

occasionally a puppy dog.

A LOLA TALE — How Fairies And People Became Lifelong Friends

A fairy named Perry and Milton his mate
And Twinkle and Trixie were staying up late
In a little tree cottage all covered in mist
Perry said, “Twinkle, they just don’t exist.”

Twinkle said what are you talking about,

Perry said, “People, I just have my doubts
That people are giants and have lots of fun
Because I never laid my eyes on one.”


Trixie said, “I beg to differ, I think they are real

And travel in things they call automobiles.”

Milton the fairy who spoke with a drawl
Said, “Y'all can settle this argument once and for all.”
“We’ll hitch up some fireflies, at least 10 or 12
And if there are people, we’ll see for ourselves.

So well after midnight they all hit the road
Three in the wagon, and Milt rode a toad.
By the light of the fireflies, they traveled all night
And just before daybreak, they saw a faint light.
    

                                   II

Lola, a wee girl and Bernard her bear
Asleep in a room at the top of the stairs
When she heard a loud noise by the back of the porch
Lola woke from a deep sleep and switched on her torch.

Bernard said, “What is that? That terrible din?
“Fairies!” said Lola who giggled and grinned
From her little round window, Lola did spy
Four tiny fairies and a dozen of fireflies.

Lola slipped on her slippers and as quiet as a mouse
Descended the stairs at the back of the house
Bernard he followed, he seemed quite alarmed
Least his constant companion should come to some harm.

“Where are you going?” to Lola he said
“Please come back upstairs, and get back into bed.”
“Don’t worry, dear Teddy,” she said quite sincere
“It’s only four fairies, there’s nothing to fear.”
With Lola in front, and behind her, Bernard
They opened the backdoor, and stepped into the yard.

                                  

III

As the fireflies kept watch up an old monkey tree

There came the faint sounds of a little girl’s glee
While under a mushroom the imps did proclaim

“It’s people I hear and they’re calling our names.”

"Fairies dear fairies, please come out and play

There’s nothing to fear and we have the whole day."

Trixie said, “Perry, you better go see,

And if it is safe, we’ll be following thee."

Reluctantly Perry stepped onto the grass

And what did he see, but a happy young lass

Smiling wee Perry said “How do you do.

I’m here with my mates and it's nice to meet you.”

All day there was laughter all day there were games

And after that meeting, they were never the same.

Perry showed her some magic, Lola showed them her jacks

They giggled so hard that they fell on their backs.

Day turned to night as they said their goodbyes

They all hugged each other, poor Bernard, he cried,

"Please have a safe journey, and thank you so much,"

And Lola called after, “And please stay in touch!”

So long after that, Perry often regaled

'Bout that magical day, as he told Lola Tales. 

And like all good stories this one too now ends—

Bout how fairies and people became lifelong friends.

The Crocodahs

The crocodah's a crocodile

Who doesn't have a clue

You’ll find them down in Adelaide

In Perth, and in the zoo.

The difference is the crocodah

Unlike his fearsome mates

Is kind of slow, but that’s okay

They love the human race.

Your normal croc

She won’t think twice

‘bout biting off your arm,

But not the ‘dahs’, they’re lov-a-ly

And have a certain charm.

So next time you’re in Wollingong

In Cairns or Port Pirie

Be sure to kiss a crocodah

They’re nice as they can be.

©2015, Stephen Labovsky

How A Hummingbird Came To Eastern Yorkshire

The garden was a bright bouquet, and all the world a summer’s day:
A snowy goose went honking by, a feather duster in the sky.

There in her little garden nook, Lola opened up a storybook.
Lounging on a hammock swing, she spied a bird with fairy wings.

Lola said, “Well that’s absurd, I think I see a hummingbird.
A bird no larger than my thumb, with wings that make a lovely hum."

This bird could hover in mid-flight, so Lola named him Little Sprite. 
But how this bird had crossed the seas, remained a total mystery.

It flew from rose to ring-o’-bells, and sipped from scarlet pimpernels.
Her teddy said, “It cannot be, for hummingbirds live across the sea.
Where cowboys ride the open range, and Indians have such wondrous names."


So with paper and a pencil stub, Lola wrote the local birding club
Time went by without a word until one day she finally heard.
The letter was from Otto Tish, the famous ornithologist. 

He wrote:“Alas I can’t concur, that you have seen a hummingbird
A hummingbird could never brave, three thousand miles and ocean waves.
So look again, perhaps you’ll see, you’re looking at a bumblebee.”

Even though some would deny, this tiny bird before their eyes.
Lola knew that she was right, that he was real, her Little Sprite.

As days grew short and nights grew cool, soon children would go back to school.
So Lola started worrying, how Little Sprite would live ‘til Spring.
The answer came one moonlit night, when a snowy goose it did alight
As Lola watched from her backdoor, Sprite appeared to hop aboard.
The goose and Sprite went on their way, heading for the U.S. A.
And when the two were out of sight, she waved goodbye, and said goodnight.
                                       
The snow it falls like tiny lace, and all the world’s a wintry place
While in their bed without a care, are Lola and her teddy bear.
They cuddle in their cozy cot, and Teddy dreams of honey pots
While Lola dreams of Sprite, her friend, and times when he’ll be back again.
  

The Pelican'ts

The Pelican'ts are pelicans

Who lack the least ambition

They loiter ‘bout the waterfront

Instead of going fishin’.

You’d see them near the canneries

They're always on the dole

But when the fleet it comes to shore

They’ll dine on Dover sole.

The leader of the Pelican'ts

A bird whose name was Ike

He’d bum around the fishing piers

And dreamed of 
scrumptious pike.

In Fall the other pelicans

Were leaving for Cancun

Ike waved his wing and said goodbye

With, “Hoped to see them soon.”

Then Ike and all his feathered friends

Did sing this simple chant:

“There’s those that do, and those that won’t

But we're The Pelican'ts!