The Panicky Penguin
The Panicky Penguin
wakes up to great excitement
as the colony greets
the rarest of guests they ever met.
It waddles closer and closer
and listens in awe
of all the wonderful things
the Arctic Tern encountered and saw.
It sits alone toes tucked in the snow,
outside the enchanted crowd,
for it was known to be timid and shy
in a group that was so, so loud.
The Tern tells terrific stories
from far and from wide
of great beasts deadly
and as blindingly white as light.
The Panicky Penguin listens
silently and keenly,
its tiny heart expanding in wonder
oh so briefly.
”Oh, a creature so magnificent and brave
would surely never be afraid”
it ponders, excited and nervous,
as its snow-covered feet wobble it away.
The thought of a beast so extraordinary and fearless
keeps it up all night,
as it hopes that it too could feel oh so bold,
it dreams all the way into the twilight.
When the colony is ready to jump
into the dark abyss of the ocean,
the Panicky Penguin
stands there anxious and frozen.
It has never done this before,
dive into the cold embrace of the sea
and it stares horrified as all the others
plunge over the icy edge with glee.
Then suddenly it is pushed and shoved
and it falls clumsily over
and it glides and skids on its belly,
no hope left for it to go slower.
It tumbles over the ledge,
spinning around and around,
within its little heart certain
it will be lost and drowned.
But to its surprise,
the water feels exhilarating and familiar
and it spirals and swirls cheerfully
in this element so peculiar.
It tastes the water, drinks it a bit,
and sings a little cheerful song
as it swims further and further
into the sea with strokes so strong.
The Panicky Penguin is alone in the water,
all others have gone already,
it looks around and starts to panic,
a queasy feeling in its tiny belly.
The Tern glides above in the sky,
gingerly and effortlessly,
the penguin feels a sudden courage
in its heart and shouts loudly.
”Mr. Tern, please tell me where I can find
those beasts so white and brave?”
it snaps its beak shut firmly,
startled by an unexpected, massive wave.
The bird replies it's a long, long, long way away,
but it can take the penguin there.
The journey will be a dangerous one and filled with peril,
through the ocean vast and bare.
So they travel together,
through treacherous waters and along strange shores,
the Panicky Penguin following the Tern,
swimming for hours and hours and hours.
The water feels cold again, the air is crisp and clear,
and the penguin sighs relieved,
as the voyage had been far longer and more tiresome
than it had ever believed.
”I've brought you to the other side of the earth,
and this is where I leave you, where I rest.”
the Tern states calmly,
shouting goodbyes on its way to its nearby nest.
The Panicky Penguin swims around and around,
trying to find the great white beast
and finally, it spots something far away,
glistening and floating in the east.
It rushes towards the ice raft,
jumps on top and stops in front of a sprawling creature.
It is a pile of bone and shaggy fur,
dangling on the fringe, a joke of mother nature.
”Are you the Great White Beast?”
the penguin whispers, not believing its own eyes.
The beast grunts and beckons to the Panicky Penguin
to hear its tale before it dies.
Black eyes filled with desperation and hunger,
the beast waits motionless
as the penguin comes closer and closer,
curious but clueless.
A swift motion and the raft is silent,
the beast licks desperately of what's left of the penguin's fate
but slips and sinks under the raft.
The ice is gone, there's no way to hunt, it's too little too late.
The last of the ice
melts away in the warm breeze,
marking the end
of such beautiful beasts as these.
