The month of August has arrived, and I’m moving along on my quest to post a blog daily. I challenged myself to this intense post schedule. I have used the year 2021 to explore the various forms of poetry. This month I decided to write Proverbial forms of poetry. I will pick a proverb, a short common saying, and use it to create a poem in whatever direction the Muse chooses to lead me. However, you must remember we are talking about Word Daddy here. My Muse isn’t dependability or inspirational. He often leaves me high and dry when I need his help the most. Apparently, Proverbials have no particular rules. I will try not to sound cliché. My next attempt to write a Proverbial Poem, I will call The Art of Killing the Chicken.
The Art of Killing the Chicken
The month of August has arrived, and I’m moving along on my quest to post a blog daily. I challenged myself to this intense post schedule. I have used the year 2021 to explore the various forms of poetry. This month I decided to write Proverbial forms of poetry. I will pick a proverb, a short common saying, and use it to create a poem in whatever direction the Muse chooses to lead me. However, you must remember we are talking about Word Daddy here. My Muse isn’t dependability or inspirational. He often leaves me high and dry when I need his help the most. Apparently, Proverbials have no particular rules. I will try not to sound cliché. My next attempt to write a Proverbial Poem, I will call The Art of Killing the Chicken.
The Art of Killing the Chicken
“Kill the chicken to scare the monkey” is a Chinese proverb I find scary, considering what is happening in the world today. I almost didn’t use this one for fear of being misunderstood.
The Art of Killing the Chicken
There is an art to killing a chicken.
First of all, they are hard to catch.
The experience is like a game of fetch
Played in a barnyard filled with chicken poop.
My Aunt Rhody says it is best to catch them in the coop.
She is the chicken killing expert.
Her ladies are always so pesky and pert.
A rooster is the best thing to kill,
Especially one that crows at night under your windowsill.
Wring his neck and put him the pot
Make sure the flame is nice and hot.
Secondly, they squirm when you wring their neck
A rooster will stab you with his talons, but what the heck.
The trick is to make sure the monkey had a good view
But aunt Rhode was an expert and knew what to do.
She videotaped it to play on TV
And let the monkey watch for free
Wringing the rooster’s neck became the key,
To killing the chicken to scare the monkey.
Who is Molly Shea?
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.
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Whether or not this proverb scares the monkey, it definitely scares me 😆 Loved how you weaved a wonderfully creative poem out of this 💖😊🙏
live stock is dead stock,
or so I’m authoritatively told,
nip the donkeys lips,
and it’ll never be so bold,
and to get he goat,
tether it by the throat,
let it know you control the choke,
use a pointed stick,
to tame the pig,
kick the cow at it’s heels,
for all belong in the pot,
for all are tasty meals….
horrible animal husbandry, as we do unto ourselves as well…powerful poetry and truly scary proverb too… shocking…and truly a fitting reminder of the proxy wars fought from fear…a fear so easily cultivated as the ordinary and natural way of life… sheeesh
Such a provocative post…
Thank you for reafing. That proverb shock me up a little.