Monday Rewrite Two went walking in the woods one spring,
With no idea what the walk might bring.
The girl fell asleep, near a big brown stone,
But the boy soon discovered they were not alone.
The stone was the rump of a big brown bear,
That reared its head and leered at him there.
He panicked and upped to the left and the right,
Ran back and forth in a frenzied fright.
The bear came close with his jagged smile,
Cornered him with his off-beat style:
‘Hey slow down kid, tell me what you did,
That makes you rush and flip your lid.
I’m the boss round here, so lend an ear,
Why the frown and the frantic fear?
I’ll teach you to dance, given half a chance,
I don’t dig the way you move.
Better follow my way, or I’ll spoil your day,
Come on boy, catch my groove.’
As he recoiled there, his head full of care,
The boy backed into a tree.
But it wasn’t a tree, it hissed with glee,
A wild cat standing six foot three.
‘Hey! You should come along with me,
I got a place that you should see.
You’re clearly lost and lacking hope.
Are you some hero? …er – nope!
Come on with me, let’s go and eat,
It’s been a while since I had meat.’
The boy was stuck and staring there,
A deer caught in a headlamp glare,
About to reply when what did he meet?
A speed freak knocked him right off his feet,
He scrambled up and scurrying there
Was a frazzled, stressed out, hurtling hare.
‘Hello, goodbye, don’t ask me why.
Keep moving now, don’t stop somehow.
I’ve lost my hat, I’ve lost my coat,
I’ve lost my mind, I’ve lost my goat.
Say, have you seen… my magazine?
My toothbrush and my Windolene?
I know your face, I know that smile,
Weren’t you once a crocodile?
D’you like my hat, d’you like my shoes?
Are you confused or just amused?
Panic, panic in your brain,
You may never be the same.
It’s all too much, you’ll never cope,
Why not give up and lose all hope?’
The cat kept prowling, the bear did too,
And the hare kept spinning in a right old stew.
And all seemed hopeless, all seemed gone,
The boy would never get back home.
And so he fell in a mound of tears,
And curled up there in a ball of fears.
‘Why are you crying?’ a calm voice said,
Strong and wise, as he lifted his head.
‘The animals,’ he muttered, ‘there’s no way home.’
‘I know,’ said the voice. ‘But you’re not alone.
They’ve chased you for a good long while.
But I’m not afraid. I can help, my child.
I know the tricks of the big brown bear,
And the callous cat, and the stressful hare.
Let’s meet them together, let me help you home,
I promise you – you’re not alone.
I know those fears often cloud your mind,
And life for you is far from fine,
I’m on your side, I care for you too,
And I will never abandon you.’
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