Please feel free to join Delores and me as we tackle this challenge. You can leave your poem in the comments or post on your own blog. If you do the latter, please leave a comment so we know where to find you.
We've had a few more bloggers rising to the challenge the last few weeks (go back and see the comments for the poems and links) -- thank you all! It is so interesting to see all the directions that the topics lead us.
*****
When I was in about Grade 2, my teacher had a book in our classroom that I loved to read. It was about some monkeys whose roof leaked whenever it rained. They would huddle together, wet and miserable, waiting for the rain to stop and promising themselves they'd fix the hole in the roof as soon as the sun came out. And when the sun came out, they would play instead. Because who wants to work when you can play in the sunshine? And when it rained again, they would promise to fix the roof again. And then they'd play instead.
Etc. Etc. Etc.
They never did get the roof fixed, not that I can remember, anyway.
I marvelled at their inability to learn from their mistakes.
And I felt sorry for them that they kept getting wet.
I still marvel and feel sorry. And also feel a little stupid, because I do the same thing in some areas of my life.
BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME.
Ahem.
My poem for this week (and it may or may not follow from my preamble; my lips are sealed) is a Haiku, and here it is . . .
*****
Hey There Cousin
You'd have to be blind
Not to see the connection
'Twixt monkey and man
*****
I await Delores' topic for next week with a great deal of trepidation :)
It will be updated here at the earliest possible opportunity.
UPDATE: Next week's topic is . . . CLOUDS . . .
In the meantime, I wish you a week where you get to monkey around for at least a little while . . .
29 comments:
Dear Jenny.
I am teasing you with this poem. As I see moderation is on. please delete if this crosses the line between fun and not-fun.
As a non-english-speaker it is sometimes hard to know just how your words are received.
Another, totally different poem will go live on my blog at 11.04 Copenhagen time.
Well! Here goes:
Jenny, Procrastinating Donkey
Has told us to rhyme with a monkey
It is hard to rhyme
When most of the time
The monkey is stubborn and funky.
There certainly is a similarity. I never did master the haiku...great job. Next week is CLOUDS.
LOL! I had a hard time with the topic, too! And not just because it's hard to rhyme with monkey :)
I love your other poem! Readers can find it here:
http://krydderuglen.blogspot.com/2019/03/poetry-monday-monkeys.html (copy/paste in your browser window)
A great similarity - in DNA, too.
Clouds - I hope my brain gets in gear this week; I've been struggling lately! Thanks, Delores.
From the Elvis Costello song "Monkey To Man", which also has a hilarious video:
A long time ago, our point of view
Was broadcast by Mr. Bartholomew
Now the world is full of sorrow and pain
It's time for us to speak up again
You're slack and sorry such an arrogant brood
The only purpose you serve is to bring us our food
We sit here staring at your pomp and pout
Outside the bars we use for keeping you out
You've taken everything that you wanted
Broke it up and plundered it and hunted
Ever since we said it
You went and took the credit
It's been headed this way
Since the world began
When a vicious creature took the jump
From monkey to man
Monkey to man
Monkey to man
Yeah yeah yeah
Every time that man struggles and fails
He makes up some kind of fairytales
After all of the misery that he has caused
He denies he's descended from the dinosaurs
Points up to heaven with cathedral spires
All the time indulging in his base desires
Ever since we said it
He went and took the credit
It's been headed this way
Since the world began
When a vicious creature took the jump
From monkey to man
Monkey to man
Monkey to man
Monkey to man
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Big and useless as he has become
With his crying statues and his flying bomb
Goes 'round acting like the chosen one
Excuse us if we treat him like our idiot cousin
He hangs up flowers and bells and rhymes
Hoping to Hell someone's forgiven his crimes
Fills up the air with his pride and praise
He's big disgrace to our beastly ways
In the fashionable nightclubs and finer precincts
Man uses words to dress up his vile instincts
Ever since we said it
He went and took the credit
It's been headed this way
Since the world began
When a vicious creature took the jump
From monkey to man
Monkey to man
Monkey to man
Monkey to man
Monkey to man
Monkey to man
Monkey to man
Monkey to man
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
I like your Haiku a lot, and it made me think of this song.
-Doug in Oakland
I love these lyrics. Of monkeys and mankind, I often wonder who is really more civilized :)
Why fix a roof when you can play? I’m with the monkeys.
Oh, good one! This seems to have been a little bit of a difficult topic but you did wonderfully. Go, you! LOL
Me, too, Marie, but I'm not sure that's the grown-up response! lol
It did seem difficult, for some reason. Thanks, Martha :)
Why fix a roof when you are courting developers to tear down the buildings that leak and give you a pay out and any money left in the HOA's coffers? If I were a monkey, I would not care. Sadly, the monkey and I cannot trade places...wonderful poem.
Hello Jenny, I sent a poem about monkeys in March, 2018, but it wasn't about being caged, it was about them being free and enjoying life.
It's sad that being caged is safer for them than living in their own environment to which they are better suited, but that is unfortunately the sign of the times because of poachers and others who think they are fair game.
Let's see what we can do with clouds. Have a good week.
Well, that all has a familiar ring to it, unfortunately, doesn't it? I take it your roof situation hasn't improved? I hope you are at least starting to feel better after your illness.
Hi Joan, thanks for dropping by. I hope all is well with you. Yes, it is truly sad about all the animals who are safer away from their wild environment. It's not right, is it?
Nice thought in your haiku, you did that very well, and i will monkey around with the idea of clouds soon.
I see what you did there :)
For other readers: you can find Mimi's poem on monkeys here:
http://messymimismeanderings.blogspot.com/2019/03/gus-awww-monday-inspiring-quote-of-week.html (copy/paste into your browser window)
it was very interesting topic dear Jenny and you did it wonderfully :)
glad you shared the story , it took me to time when grandma used to tell us same story often though careless characters were a sparrow instead of monkeys
i wish you could post more often
love your writings !
hugs and happy spring (almost well)
I know a few "blind" people who get insulted at the thought of being similar to monkeys, but I also know a few people who would just need to be a bit more hairy and they'd be mistaken for one. In looks and actions.
Thank you Jenny. I like your Haiku. Haiku are hard to do well, but I think you did.
I'm sure Ogden Nash did it better than I ever could! I like your Darwinian haiku. :)
Thank you, my friend! Those stories stick with us; it shows how big an impression they made on us as children, I think :)
Yes, indeed :) You're right.
Ogden Nash is my poetry superhero :D
I hate to admit that sometimes I'm a lot like the monkeys in your story. Like the times when I lived alone and I'd walk by some wayward piece of detritus on the floor... again and again. Finally after about the fifth time I'd stop and ask myself, "Who did you THINK was going to pick it up?!?" ;-)
Hahaha! I STILL do that, with the same end result, but there's always the slight chance my husband will pick it up instead (has never happened yet but I'm an optimist) :D
I'm pretty sure one of those monkeys was called Kylie.
Hah! Well, come on over here and keep me company on the naughty seat, kylie :)
I am concerned about the monkeys jumping on a bed. Have you read that book? Apparently it can be quite disastrous because they fall of the bed and hit their heads. Then the doctor has to get involved. What a nightmare! =)
Yes!!! And it's a song, too :) You're right to be concerned, because all the doctor says is to put those monkeys right to bed . . . which sounds like perpetuating the problem to me :D lol
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