Children's Poem Of Mine #2...

...inspired by an observation on an Agra rooftop by none other than Mr. Patrick Martz! Hope you like it; as ever, feedback is greatly appreciated!...

The real-life Monkey King...minus the banana skin.

AGRA’S TWO KINGS

Come, child, let me take you by the hand

To a colourful and musical land:

Agra, India- see that roof up there?

There’s King Isra sitting without a care!

You only see a monkey’s silhouette?

The MONKEY King- didn’t I say that yet?

(Metal crowns are too heavy for his head,

So a banana skin sits there instead.)

Long ago, he thought he owned ALL the town-

But another kind also had a crown.

King Sunny, ruler of the sacred cow,

Before whom every cow must take a bow.

(I, for one, have never seen a cow bow

I’m betting the poor creatures don’t know how!)

Meeting outside the Taj Mahal one day,

King Isra said ‘I’ve got something to say.

You cows are nasty, and always look down

At us monkeys and think you own this town.’

King Sunny replied ‘We look down at you

Cos you’re smaller than us- what can we do?’

‘HUMPH!’ said King Isra, ‘I just think that’s rude!

You’ll be sorry you took that attitude!’

As he scarpered through the legs of a man,

King Sunny shrugged (as well as a cow can!);

After enduring a stress overload,

Sunny plopped in the middle of the road.

King Isra, back at his rooftop palace,

Said to his monkey subjects, with malice:

‘Who watches everything down below

As these humans put on their daily show?

Who can scamper here, there and everywhere-

Even that big white palace over there?

(You and I both know the palace’s name

Isra did not know the Taj Mahal’s fame

He claims his great-grandad was there when built-

Anyway, let him finish- I feel guilt!)

‘These cows need to learn that we may be small

But we’re the strongest animal of all!’

One monkey said:  ‘Maybe a compromise?’

King Isra screamed ‘A word I despise!

Gather the monkeys in Agra to fight;

We will soon put all this injustice right.’

King Isra got that mad look in his eye

That has made many a strong monkey cry!

With one SCREECH- all the monkeys came- it’s the truth!

You should have seen them gathered on the roof!

King Isra with his banana skin crown,

Asking them: ‘WHO deserves to rule this town?’

‘King ISRA!’ they screeched, without a pause,

Then to Agra’s streets to fight for his cause.

For humans, marching monkeys are a sight!

‘Are they rabid?’ one suggested with fright,

No, dear sir- their behaviour was funny

Because they were off to find King Sunny

Who still lay in the middle of the road,

Getting over that HUGE stress overload!

Then he blinked his eyes open to the sight:

‘Either I haven’t woken up quite right,

Or lots of monkeys greet me on this night!’

The monkeys all screeched ‘We are here to FIGHT

For our King Isra, Agra’s rightful king!’

King Sunny said ‘Well, isn’t that something?

Look, I know you’re all keen to go to war,

But frankly I find this business a bore,

Why can’t we both go on just like before?’

Half the monkey troops said ‘I’m not sure!’

The other half cried ‘You said we were small,

But we’re the strongest animals of all!’

The cow king said ‘You know what’s stronger STILL?

If we work TOGETHER with no ill will!

Your king rules from the top, we’ll rule down here,

Over our JOINT subjects- a kind so queer

They need TWO kings to keep up with their pace-

I speak, of course, about the human race!

So, my monkey chums, there’s no need to fight,

Let us rule in harmony, and UNITE!’

From the monkeys, not a sound could be heard

As they asked themselves: ‘Is this all absurd?

Are those dozy cows too lazy to fight

Or could King Sunny actually be right?' 

One monkey shouted ‘It makes sense to me!’

Then other monkeys began to agree,

This happy event made them want to weep-

But King Sunny was already asleep.

So the monkeys returned to show the love

And cheer King Isra of Agra Above!

First off, King Isra was angry- and then

He listened hard to their story again,

And softened to the generous cow king,

As he realised you can’t have everything!

‘You know, those cows aren’t as bad as I thought…

(I still think we would have won if we’d fought!)’

Now, if you go to Agra and you see

A lazy-eyed cow talk to a monkey

Who has a banana skin on his head,

You’ll know, fellow human, what’s being said:

‘Those mad human folk! Look at what they do!’

That’s right- they’re talking about me and YOU!