A Friend In Need

There once was a cheerful giraffe

Who chortled and giggled his laugh,

But whenever he did,

Friends and family hid —

For they feared he'd flame-breath them to chaff.

-

He came with a knock on my door

As the rain was beginning to pour.

I dodged his red flame

And asked him his name:

“Tiberius Sven Wilberfore!”

-

I let him come stay at my house;

He was funny and sweet as a mouse.

(Though he burned up our chair

And singed Annabelle’s hair.

“That’s alright, she was hiding a louse.”)

-

He wanted to visit my neighbor

So I strapped on my trusty lightsaber

(It was only for show,

Not for striking a blow)

And I got on his back with some labor.

-

Tiberius puffed greyish smoke

(I suppose it was meant as a joke)

But my neighbor’s loud shriek

And her dog’s little squeak

Made his flames putter down with a croak.

-

I distracted her, then, with a snack,

And said, “Please, wait, just cut him some slack.

“He was out all alone,

Now he’s one of my own.”

So she shrugged. “Well, I guess that does track.”

-

(I had taken such houseguests before,

Like a dog with paws big as an oar,

A deaf, blind senior cat,

A cantankerous rat,

And a pal who had left Singapore.)

-

We came home after walking the block,

And Tiberius asked me in shock,

“I can honestly stay?

I won’t scare you away?

I breathe fire and smoke and I talk.”

-

I patted his soft yellow head

And tucked him right into his bed.

“I like spiders and snakes

And I don’t mind mistakes.

You’re my friend. Isn’t that enough said?”

-

He cried great crocodile-sized tears

And he told me his hopes and his fears

Then he laughed in surprise

When his flames didn’t rise —

See, he hadn’t controlled them in years.

-

We adventured through life’s mileposts,

Working hard, meeting friends, fighting ghosts.

But we made time to play,

And we ended each day

With giraffe-sponsored marshmallow roasts.