The Up and Down Day
It’s been an up and down day
a black and white ride
says the girl
just a girl
on a star-drenched tide
I was here
then was there
but am getting nowhere
It’s been an up and down day
a rip-roaringdy flow
says the girl
just a girl
in the moon’s undertow
I twirl and I whirl
I crash and I dash
but the high and low track
never brings me right back
Confounded she calls
to deepest sir deep
that funny old Neptune
who’s surely still asleep
Rousing a rise
with a rattle and roar
Neptune emerges
from a slurb of a snore
I’m simply not getting it down
says the girl with a frown
This circular thing
won’t circle, my King!
Now old deepster Sir Neptune
is a man of few words
preferring instead
to nap like the dead
In a rush of a gush
he pats the girl’s head
hush shush,
hush, hush, hush
Then with a great thrust
he casts in a shine
a gold rod and gold line
the best of it’s kind
Plip ploppy blue
and in the King reels
twelve silver fish
for a young watery miss
With a flourish and grin
his hands start to spin
and his crafting begins
A sprite silver crown
he finally hands down
in a bend oh so deep
so the girl doesn’t weep
and forever can keep
Now the watery heart
of the fluid glass lass
forgets for a time
her worries in kind
She dive jives alive
tip tappity floppin’
a girl of pure ripple
and boisterous flipple
The girl
just a girl
with a crown
no more frowns
trails a glittery wake
foam sparkle
she makes
But still!
she tumbles and wrastles
end over end
never ebbing right back
not getting the knack
Hum thrummin’
hum do
through all of that sparkle
is how she meets Warkle!
Eight climbin’ fla flew
hum dum-didity-do
a fellow quite grim
and one sparklin’ limb
offers a hello and shake
straight up and straight through
that quite glittery wake
Hi there. I’m Warkle!
Well met. How d’you do?
says the girl
just a girl
to one very uncertain
eight-limbed octopi
Recede rippledy do
cascade dipplely don’t
I’ll never learn
this thing called to float
says the shy octopi
to the girl
just a girl
under the night-jeweled sky
in those waves
oh those waves
But it only takes one!
says the girl
not a girl
never a girl
who said a girl?
as the shy octopi
caught a wave
just one wave
and the girl realized
I am the ocean
not salt
nor mere spray
she shouts
to the heat of the day
Then she sighs
a big sigh
birthing the rhythm
of the tides
a repetitious spell
only she could tell
Now all remember her name
and it’s never quite been the same
Look! There she is
that woman of the waves
dancin’ as she please
to the tune that she made.
