Just because...

I didn't want you left with just a random dream to read about I thought I would share something nice... so here's a poem for you, chosen from a random bag of paperwork I still have to sort through (have I mentioned I am on another one of my "spring cleans"?)

This one was written during a play rehearsal when I was in Russia... as the play was 3+ hours long and I only had 5 lines throughout the whole thing and had only been graced with one sheet of the actual play (they could have at least given me the whole scene I was in!!) I spent many hours sat, trying to find something to amuse myself with *quietly* so as not to disturb the rehearsal that was going on...

One day I suggested that my friend give me 3 things to write a story about. "Be as random as you like - I like a challenge" I said... so she was. Her three things were: 1) Cabbage fields, 2) pink elephants, and 3) Marlon Brando.

Now before you ask, Marlon Brando was a major fav of our Russian group and he turned up in a lot of our Russian tales (as in tales we told each other in order to learn our Russian vocab - we had 10 words a week we had to use in the tale). So it was no surprise that he came up once again... but how would pink elephants and cabbage fields work?

Here is the product, written in about 20 mins, and laughed about for much longer - I hope you enjoy it!

Down by the stream, in the middle of the wood
where the mushrooms grow and the food's all good,
there you will find the most amazing scene -
a herd of elephants; pink, white and green.

The elephants see each day as a game -
they'll run and they'll joke, jokes so good and so lame,
the elephants, they will laugh all day long
but one little 'phant thinks something is wrong...

So off on his travels this little 'phant goes
but where he is going, no elephant knows,
they watch his tail swish as he trundles away
maybe they'll meet him again one fine day.

The elephant who was so pink and so small
wanted to wander, to see and know all,
so wander he did from east to the west
up north and down south - to see all was the best!

He wandered and wandered through all kinds of weather
over hills and through dales, through the pink and blue heather,
through the fields which in winter were covered in snow
and fields where in summer the cabbages grow.

But this poor little elephant never did find
that thing that was missing to his little mind,
one day he was ready to give up the fight
when suddenly a man came into his sight.

The man and the elephant came face to face
the elephant's heart started quickly to race,
the man stuck his hand out to meet little 'phant
who offered his trunk to the man with a pant.

"What is you name?" asked the man with a smile
the elephant stopped and thought for a while,
"I really don't know," he said, truly wishing...
"I think I have found what I feel I am missing!"

"What are *you* called?" asked the 'phant of the man
"Marlon Brando," he said, "my mum was a fan!"
"Of what?" asked the 'phant, knowing nothing of stars
"Of a man in a film in a land not too far."

"Oh!" cried the 'phant and he jumped with delight
"I might take that name, really I might."
"Why not?" asked the man, "if it makes you so happy,
It's such a fine name for such a fine chappy!"

And so with a name that suited him well
the elephant started for where his friends dwell
"I've found what I'm lacking, now I can go home
oh how they will smile when the see how I've grown."

And so as he came to that place in the wood
where the elephants play and life is so good,
he heard a great cry of delight and such joy
from every small elephant, each girl and each boy.

"What did you see, dear friend, what did you learn,
did you find what it was that you yearned?"
"Yes," Marlon cried, "It's the simplest thing,
it's a gift for you all, it's a gift that I bring!"

And so little Marlon gave each one a name -
never were two elephants called the same,
and today as they play in the depth of the wood
each one has a name that is strong and so good!!

Copyright Amanda Fisher 2005