A view from under the pew: what s so good about black friday question mark here
Editor’s note: Amos is a churchmouse, who types by hopping on the computer keyboard, but he can’t operate the capital shift keys, and he shuns punctuation marks – except dashes and hyphens.
what s so good about
black friday
question mark here
boss it s the day after
thanksgiving and methinks
the church pew underworld
has lost its christianity – or
at least its pleasantries and
common gratitude
i was checking on
the specials at sara
spider s underground
discount store today the
day after thanksgiving
the moment i stepped
from my snugly warm
little matchbox i knew
the rat race was on
crows and magpies were
standing on street
corners hawking their
christmas wares
ratty raccoons and
persnickety pack rats
hornswaggled and hoarded
trash and treasures alike
and not only that boss
swarms of locusts
grasshoppers lady bugs and
other insects crowded
the bugtussle mall
fur feathers frocks and
flying parts were scattered
in every direction
i tell you boss christmas
was lost somewhere
in the shuffle
all i wanted was a
tiny little red flashing
light to decorate the
top of my christmas
tree sprig propped
against my little
matchbox home that s
all i needed boss
but what a mess
i was bounced
bumped thumped
shoved and submarined
mostly by a couple of
horned toads
and some loudmouthed
floppy-eared dog trounced
all over my tail
i started to pout
but i wanted to shout
let me outta here what s
it all about anyway
just then sammy
salamander came
wiggling his way
through the crowd
follow me he said
but i can t wiggle
anything except
my head i said
cause my tail is dead
never mind that he
said just go where i
go and be sure
to watch your toes
we wiggled away
far from the mall
to a lonely tableau
under the stars a
manger scene so alone
but right in the
heart of the town
of bugtussle
jenny my next door
neighbor was playing
mary and willifred the
white rat was joseph
freddy flea played the
role of baby jesus
virgil the praying
mantis was a shepherd
robin redjoy oliver owl
and rawley eagle were the
wise men and louie the
songdog was a cow
this is a crazy scene says i
why the strange garb the fuss
and the weird ceremony -
and all of it so far away
from the malling crowd
what s so all-fired important
you had to drag me away
from my tiny little red
flashing light for my
christmas tree sprig
sammy just looked at me and
smiled that all-knowing
salamander smile and said
you wanted to know about
christmas - you re standing
at the very heart of its
mystery and miracle right now
the birth of god s very own
son said louie most reverently
and you know what boss
a sweet gentle peace settled
over my little trampled soul
amos
