Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Ethan and Joan


Nibble oak nubbins and honey cake nuggets
Climb chestnut trees and eat bowl full of courgettes
Hop down haselbrook and sit near a chapel
That's what I like coz I am a cute little Squirrel


Ethan the teeny squirrel lived with his mommy squirrel in the giant oakwood tree colony. The colony that was the abode of sparrows, giant red ants and many others...The red ants who industriously worked and made castles out of leaves and stored the warehouses with food for the winter. Ethan tried making friends with them but then the ants never liked anyone else. So he went to mommy and asked her.

"Why don't I have any friends here?…Seems like the ants don't like me either. :-("

Then mommy squirrel took out a drum made of barks and oak leaves...She hopped towards Ethan and sang…

Down in the meadows listen to grasshoppers
Run behind dragonflies and ask out for butterflies
Play em your song and come home before sun set
And like I always say don't forget your favourite walnuts



Unfortunately the grasshoppers got scared of him, the butterflies never listened to his song and all he had was a few walnuts and no one to share …Sad and gloomy he walked back home and cuddled near the cushy tail of his mother…His mother tried to comfort him but Ethan was deep in sorrow.

Life is unfair and my heart is in despair
Smiles are rare and friends are nowhere
These days, even skylarks have no time to spare
But then, who seems to care?


Few blocks away lived Joan the kid. Joan just had a fight in the playground because his friends called him a "loser". If there was one thing Joan did not like it was calling names. Why was Joan such a mis fit? Was it coz he was the rich kid of the block and the spoilsport who would run away with the football when he was offended. So that Saturday morning, Joan walked away in anger...

As he reached near the oak wood tree, he threw his cap away and rested beneath the cool shades. The sky was brilliant blue and the air smelt of spring…The meadows across was lively as he saw the butterflies in a beautiful ballet of their own and the honeybees flying away with their precious nectar …Across he could hear his friends continuing to play without him…He was feeling left out.


Another lonely Saturday and I'll sit here all day
Until somebody home come and say
Let go coz you are no castaway
when all I wanted was a friend for every day



When Joan realized that he needed a good friend he first thought of going back to the playground. But they rather liked his football…And he wondered would there be someone, somewhere out there who was like him…some one just eager to be happy for each other…

Few branches above someone did wait indeed
As they glanced each other both eyes agreed
In silence and smiles a spark was born
And there lived forever two friends Ethan and Joan

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

This was nice. Reminded of nursery rhymes and story books.

silverine said...

Wow! You are a gifted story teller! That is some serious talent here!! :-O Absolutely totally enjoyed this. Was transported back in time to the time I was addicted to stories of all kind! This is a class of story writing that I haven't come across in a long time (if it is yours)! Kudos!!

thomas said...

Man, don't think I'm flattering you, You've got talent!! The poem is beautiful (obviously!)

thomas said...

And I liked the way you introduced "spark" into the penultimate line.

Abhi said...

Wow, reminded me of th rhyme sung by th small gal in the new idea ad. This is some serious talent mat, this stuff is school magazine grade. :)

first when i saw th title, i thought it's a dig on the mission impossible series or something, with ethan n all. Nice story pal:)

mathew said...

@Cris
thank you.. :-)

@Anju
thank you very much.. am flattered..:-)

I like squirrels and then they are lonely..i thought there was a story in there..

@Tom
thanks thomaacha...spark was just a coincedence..;-P

@Abhi
thank you..
I have actually got a copy of a school magazine with a poem I had written with me..:-)

starry said...

Enjoyed reading this.very well written.loved it.

srijithunni said...

Wow!, that was great..! and those verses were simply amazing..! Awesome mathaicha..!

Emmanuel said...

beautiful. absolutely beautiful. :)

Anonymous said...

Lovely...
I just got reminded of storybooks, I used to read in school days...
:)

Neena Padayatty said...

You can rhyme too...commendable work with verse there.Have you read "Alice in Wonderland"?

Rahul Nair said...

that was refreshing.. The story and the verses intermingling...

A cute story too..

VIDYA said...

This is SO cute! i liked the 'spark' ending bit :)you write real well!... Story telling is no easy task.

oh te lonely spoilt boy reminded me of someone frm playschool :)

VIDYA said...

and hey your new template s cool, who s te girl ;)

Sree said...

Very well written.A book for children on the make?

Dhanya said...

Hey that was lovely.. You are really talented.. Waiting for lots more :)

Philip said...

wow! The first time I read it, I didn't know what to make of it...kept expecting a twist somewhere. Then I read it again, carefully and guess what came to mind - Enid Blyton and a world of enchanted trees and animals who reside in them :)

Curl Canvas said...

awwwww... I understand how ethan and Joan feel.. but they atleast got to meet...

:(

mathew said...

@starry nights
thank you..:-)

@Srijith
its a pleasure from a poet like you..

@emmanuel
thank you..

@SilenceKilled
school books!!*shiver*;-D

@Neena
Yes..but a long long time ago..maybe in primary school :-D

@Rahul
thank you..

@VIDYA
thank you..i have no idea who the girl is..:-D

@Sree
ayyo..not any book..thanks for enjoying..

@Dhanya
danke schon!!:-D

@Philip
Enid Blyton books are such distant memory now..Wish I could read it again and enjoy the same way I did in those years..

@Shiff
There is nothing that stops Ethan and Joan from meeting..:-)

Mishmash ! said...

So Sweeetttt!!! that was some serious writing!

Somehow after reading this, what came to my mind was a part of one of your posts where you wrote something about a grandpa telling stories to grandkids....it had ur signature satirical note to that post...i dont remember correctly.somehow it came to my mind & I was imagining u as that nice grandpa telling such cute stories to kiddos :)

Btw, Ethan & Joan ..very cute names....:)

Anonymous said...

Not school books, but Story books, I used to read during Schoold days :)

Merin Jose said...

heyyy...that ws simply beautifull..with those rhyming lines n apt words...though reminded f some story f the nursery days,i think it can b read frm a different angle also.....
gud work n i appreciate the storyteller within u...

Preeti Shenoy said...

Oh my God!!A lovely piece of writing.
Well done!
Cheers
preeti

J said...

Someday i'll narrate this to my kids. Good work, Mathew!

B said...

heyya!

mathew said...

@Mishmash
hahahah..me as a grandpa..still a long way to go..;-P


@SilenceKilled
oops..

@Merin
thank you..and thanks for droppin here..

@Preeti
thank you..and that coming from a prolific writer..thanks..:-)

@Jyothsna
wow..thats some complement..:-)

@Red Soul
hey.lookin all stylish!;-D