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| _union, soggy, hollow, canary, chug along.Image(s) from the Internet.
The opening poem contains all the words (or variations of them) from today's Jumble.
Comments are welcomed! And couching them in Poetry is definitely NOT required.
Do not explicitly reveal any of the actual answer words until after closing time, but embedding them surreptitiously in comment sentences is encouraged.
Like 'choo-choo trains', I guess.
ReplyDeleteI have a grandson who runs ultra marathons, and I think the sponsor's arrangements are a little more elaborate than those in the cartoon.
ReplyDeleteSandy ~ I’m impressed. Anyone who runs ultramarathons has great stamina.
I ran one marathon once, a full 26-miler, just the one time. I was in my late 30s, and this was the first ever marathon in Richmond Va. I was a daily jogger in those days, and I wanted to see what it would feel like.
I prepared for a week ahead, running increased distances each day until two days before I reached over 13 miles, a half marathon.
I felt good enough then to take the day off the day before the start. I did stretches and light exercise, and loaded on carbs. On the morning of the event, I taped my nipples to prevent abrasion, and I put on my bright red tee with the logo of my new theater, ARC, the “American Revels Company.”
I did pretty well. My time was awful of course. It took me 4 hours to finish, but I did finish, and there were still a lot of runners behind me.
Top runners do it in 2 hours. Can you imagine?
Today’s Jumble:
I think you’ll find this warning system easier to carry around than to …
“Lug A Gong?”
The miner’s union retired their canaries,
preferring modern ways to find
when air is toxic—no longer (if you please)
to make each mine an avian shrine.
Now if you want to see if air can harm,
touch your litmus to the wet cavern deck,
then heat it in the hollow of your palm,
& if it’s blue, the air’s healthy as heck…
But bar the door & clear the crew,
if that soggy strip is black-&-blue!
~ OMK
Congratulations on your marathon, OMK. I'm in awe of anyone who can run distances. My maximum was 5k, many, many years ago, and I walked part of that. But give yourself a big pat on the back for trying it for the first time in your late 30's. My grandson started in his late 20's to focus heavily on fitness. He'll be doing a 50 mile/50k run on Catalina Island January 8 before returning to law school in St Louis. Busy guy!
ReplyDelete"Busy Dog Walk"
ReplyDeleteThe couple was walking their doggie
on a day that was drizzly and soggy.
He was not always easy to follow,
especially running into a hollow
where they found a wounded canary,
a discovery not too scary.
The bird sang a woeful song
so they decided to chug along
and take him home, where he'd belong.
And now bird and dog are a union
and the new family enjoys their reunion.
Nothing warms my heart like cross-species friendships. Misty, your poem caused me to google pictures of tigers and bears, giraffes and ostriches, and dogs with just about anything.
ReplyDeleteAffections like these symbolize peace on earth.
~ OMK
Very kind comments, OMk, although my dogs Dusty and Misty (yes, dachshund Misty) and by white bird Tweety in his cage, stayed pretty much in their own domains and never formed much of a union or even a friendship. Still, it may have made the home more comfortable for them just to have other animals around.
ReplyDeleteSame here, Misty, we never trusted our dogs and birds to get along.
ReplyDeleteNor either of them with our mice for that matter.
I don't know the circumstances that make it possible for these friendships to occur, but we have plenty of evidence that they do.
It might be easier for mammals to get along with mammals, but I'm not sure.
My favorite photo, I think, is of a fox hugging a hound dog.
("Tally-HO!")
~ OMK
I'm going to dredge up this old chestnut given one of today's J's
ReplyDeleteThe fruits of his reckless riddleing would usher in
Fire and brimstone on the Laketown men.
He'd just had to overdo it. He'd got away
So Smaug transferred his rage to they
Who'd helped the Hobbit. What would betoke
Bard and his kin and the kindly townfolk.
He thought of young Tommy and sister Mary
His teddy bear and her beloved pet canary.
WC
Wilbur, you have so many characters. There's Smaug, the hobbit, Chet, Lois, and more!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great fund of interesting stories. Thanks for the entertaining reads.
Oh dear, Wilbur, I sure hope that Tommy and his sister Mary and their sweet canary all stay safe with all that rage and fire and brimstone going on not far from them. Hope someone protects them!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the flashback, Wilbur, a good reminder of Smaug and the Tolkien world.
ReplyDeleteMy coal miners are not quite as romantic as hobbits and dragons. Your guys are a welcome addition to the day's dramatis personae!
~ OMK
I meant to compliment Misty on her repartee poetry(fln). You have a gift, gal.
ReplyDeleteSandy, don't forget Ivanhoe, that was 6-9 months too. Did you notice the Rowena clue?(Sunday CC)
I mentioned once that William Makepeace Thakeray wrote an Ivanhoe sequel" Rebecca and Rowena". The two journey to Spain as I recall.
Misty, here's what befell Bard, Mary and Tommy
Next post
WC
The shine of Smaug's armor glistened as he neared
ReplyDeleteAlarm bells rang , it was what Bard had always feared
He'd have a hefty chore defending the beleaguered town
Those not incinerated would most likely drown.
An infinite shower of arrows proved to no avail
Those that hit their target merely bounced off the serpent's mail
Dragon strength and feline cunning had come to comprise
The futility of struggle and Laketown's certain demise.
Bard was down to the black arrow he mustn't rush
When a voice was heard, could it be that thrush
"Aim under the left breast, Bard and send it flying through"
Strange advice, strange source but somehow sounding true
And there was Smaug in all his glory and his pride
And there was the target and the noble Bowman let it ride
Yes the humble Hobbit had devined the fatal flaw
The bolt flew straight and thus it was the dragon's last hurrah.
WC
If you're curious here we're the J's and riddle-solution:
DeleteHefty,Shiny, Finite,League; Fee-lines
Wilbur, would you consider your verses to be epic poetry? They encompass such large scenarios and figures from a complex and full past. Very impressive.
ReplyDeleteJust great storytelling, Wilbur.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember Ivanhoe. But not that Rowena and Rebecca went off together on an excursion to Spain!
Found a little bit of Thackeray's preface, and now I'd love to read his book.