THE BALLAD OF THE SKATEBOARDING ANT

If you've ever seen an ant
go whizzing by
faster than his friends and
with goggles on his eye's,
then without a doubt,
skidding through the plants,
you've met my friend Albert,
The skate-boarding ant.

From the day he was born
he was rushing around
hither and thither,
like a spring unwound.
His mum would despair,
“Albert, please stand still.
You need your hat and scarf
or you'll catch a chill”.

Then he's off again
like a lightning flash,
a dust cloud behind him
from wheels rolling fast.
Neighbours are waving
then catching their hats
as the draught blows them off
like fluttering bats.

But one whizzing day
a wheel snapped right off
so tumbling and rolling
he landed with a cough.
As the dust settled down
he could see his ride
looking battered and bruised
and lying on its side.

“Oh dearie me,
what will I do now,
the wheel's disappeared
beneath the farmers plough.
Will I have to now walk
all slow and sad,
and what about the fun
that I won’t be able to have?”

He went to bed
with a sad little frown.
His mum said to him,
“It's time you slowed down.
You're whizzing about
missing all you could see;
the trees; the birds;
the rabbits and bees”.

So Albert slowed and walked
as he watched birds and trees
but it wasn't the same,
he was missing his speed.
His friends all asked him
to come out and play,
so he did and had fun
but his mind was away.

His old Uncle Bob
saw how sad he'd become
and said to himself,
“Something has to be done!
His birthday is close
and the perfect day
to cheer him right up;
watch him smile and play.”

On his birthday morning
Albert woke up and said,
“What is that big box
at the foot of my bed,
all wrapped up in paper
of red, blue and green?”
Well his face was surely
a sight to be seen.

He dived out of bed
and grabbed the box,
“It couldn't be underpants,
vests or socks.”
He tore off the wrapping
with a joyful squeal,
for dear Uncle Bob
had replaced his wheel.

Well Albert was up
and out and away
and from then until now,
he remembered the day
that dear Uncle Bob
gave him back his smile,
you could hear him laughing
and whizzing for miles.



(Taken from "The Book Of Loops And Laughter", 
available on Amazon Kindle and paperback)

*

Written by Darren Scanlon, 24th April 2014.
Revised by Darren Scanlon, 16th June 2015.
©2015 Darren Scanlon. All rights reserved.