silver key
green shiny rock
stovepipe hat
red convertible in the form of a slipper
two slippers
jenny in one
me in the other.

shiny silver key
horn
like a streak
lion cub
green leaf
shimmer very slight


fonca

fonca
took the shiny silver key
from the tray
and felt the outline of its shape in her hand.

she pressed the square button on the bottom of the key

and heard the clang of the front gates as they groaned and squeaked and finally opened

a horn started blaring
and like a tree shaking its leaf
it registered what she had done

like a streak of lightning she was out the front door
and on to the porch

there was a roar from down the driveway
and fonca could see the lion cub half way down the
path

dang, fonca thought i am going to get in trouble for this.

quick as a bunny she hopped and skipped her way down
to the front gate

just in time she saw the cub
bounding down flower street

she reached the gates and hopped on her vehicle
desperately holding on to the key and
trying to have some demeanor as she passed the
neighbors standing in shocked amazement as the
young girl flew by on her electric broom.

the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself
is worth the sweat and the agony

as fonca passed mrs. bearhoffer's fence which was
five miles down the road from the farm that she lived
on she saw the old woman fall down.

dang, said fonca again i am going to get blamed for this.

when i catch that cub he is going to pay dearly.

first, i will thorttle him
and then i will bottle him.

he doesn't like the bottle
and she knew just where she was going to put him
right dab smack in the coal bin in the basement
that will show him whose the boss.

she squinted her blue eyes and she thought she
caught a glimpse of the cub straight ahead a mile at the most.

she was gaining on him.

thank god for these electric contraptions.
con ed had merged with ford not too long ago

and her broom was a shiny metallic blue
with a long cylinder tube that glowed in the
night so it made it possible for night vision
so that the nightcrawlers wouldn't bang into her.

she knew she was letting her mind wander when she
should be focused on the cub
dang, that cub she said again.

she ruminated, well, fonca, you have to admit he keeps
you on your toes.

granted i'll give him that. but he's in big trouble.

she passed harmonica's house and she could hear loud
music coming out the front windows.
the kids from the bluff were jamming again trying
to make a hit record.

yeah, right, a hit record.
they ought to take some music lessons from the pros.
she said out loud.

she came to a screeching stop
and dismounted the electric broom

there sat the cub in the middle of the street.

well, what happened did you get tired said fonca.

no, said cub.
i'm just taking a rest. are you mad?
yes, i'm mad. you know you re not supposed to go
out of the gates.

yeah, but i need to see what's out there.

hm, said fonca, she couldn't say there was something wrong with that
argument.

well, said fonca, are you satisified?
did you see enough?

no, said cub.
i want to see more.
couldn't we do this together?

that's a new thought said fonca.
together, hm, i'll have to think on that.

she had gotten the cub from her father this
past summer when he had come home from safari
and he said that the cub was special.

what's so special father?
it's only a lion cub.

yes, but some day this lion cub will grow up
and have a big roar.

and the roar is what is going to lead him to distant lands.

what kind of distant lands fonca persisted.

lands that we will never go to
but the lion will take you there.

how is the lion going to take me there papa.

well, he's always going to be trying to get away from you
and you are constantly going to be going after him trying
to catch him, and that my dear is the adventure of life.

papa, fonca looked up at her father tenderly, are you telling
me a story?

writing is the only acceptable form of schizophrenia.