The Emperor's Comet 
The star’s slept so long and peacefully that its beard falls well below its waist and
a mane of hair trails along the floor.
A regular Rip Van Winkle, they say. With all that hair, it could go around naked and no
one would be the wiser.
If it were riding a horse, it’d be another Godiva. But it’d better not yawn.
Rather, it should gallop off.
Just look over there, yes, lurking in the shadows like a bad novel, isn’t that
Delilah?
Shore Leave
It was not something we usually did, but we managed to shipwreck a hundred miles from the
sea. Without water, it was easy to move from stern to bow even though our craft had split
in two.
I did so want someone to pat me heartily on the back and exclaim, good show!
But all I heard was, looks like two jagged cups of shell here.
I couldn’t help wondering where the egg had run off to, now that it was ready for
the omelet. It was that or peer into the fore stateroom and watch a fat couple madly
humping in their last embrace.
It’s not that we’d choose to watch, but we feared the vigorous rocking was
about to set the bow rolling down the hill, slowly then more quickly picking up speed as
it disappeared in a cloud of dust like the gulls and so many other things that whizzed by.
Whereupon my brother,our navigator, who couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn at two
paces with a howitzer, affirmed, what we really need is a mockingbird that can whistle
an SOS.
The Track of Water Over the Dam
It was a very pleasant dinner that was becoming an even more pleasant evening.
So this is true happiness, one of the guests said to no one in particular.
Another guest replies, Contentment, at least. A wonderful contentment.
The guests purred among themselves like cats and the last few twilight birds formed
their farewell speeches.
Eventually the guests reluctantly excused themselves to retire for the night.
One couple was turning down their bed. Both were intent on watching each other’s
movements, full of admiration and desire.
One of them said, If there was a spot that was at the end of the rainbow, I suppose
this place is it.
The other answered, Now if only we could paint a new rainbow. |
