Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Hello, friends! It's Thursday. Perhaps some of you know what that means. Around here, it means we're getting a bit poetic.

Each week, we enjoy participating in Angel Sammy and Teddy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. Our pawsome hosts give us a photo each week as a prompt. The photo for this week sure is an intense one!

I really had to put my thinking cap on and get my creative juices flowing for this one. I don't know a whole lot about surfing (translation: I know nothing about surfing). I myself also have a bit of a phobia when it comes to deep waters like those seen in this impressive photo, but I'm thinking that's sort of beside the point.

Anyway, I asked myself how I could use this photo to scribble up something a little different and maybe even a little bit fun. I can't even tell you how or why, but what ultimately came to my mind was the story of Jonah and the whale. I was raised Catholic, and am still an active Catholic, and so I have heard the biblical story of Jonah and the whale more than a few times. For those who don't know this story and wish to read up on it, you can click here for Wikipedia's trusty explanation.

Now, I didn't write a poem about Jonah and the whale. I did, however, write about Norah and a narwhal. Because, you know, that makes more sense. All I can say is that the poem below is all shades of nonsense and silliness. If that's your sort of thing, feel free to give it a read.

Norah and the Narwhal

Norah was a master athlete.

There was no sport in which she could not or would not compete.
No matter what hits or throws the sport had in store,
Norah would always land on all fours.

But if you asked Norah if she had a favorite skill,
She would give you a quick answer with great thrill.
It was catching waves that she loved best,
And out on her surfboard she felt no stress.

That is, until one day when the unthinkable occurred.
"Surf's up!" from the beach Norah on that day had heard.
Without hesitation she had grabbed her board and ran to the shore,
And the giant waves she could not help but adore.

She waded and paddled and then hopped on her board,
And on those great waves Norah soared and soared.
But then, suddenly, all Norah saw was a great big maw.
It held nothing but a giant pink tongue and belonged to a narwhal.

The narwhal's timing was as impeccable as could be,
And straight into its mouth Norah flew as she surfed the sea.
It was dark and wet inside the creature's mouth,
And Norah had no idea if she was pointing north or south.
She felt herself flying down the narwhal's gullet,
Traveling at speeds faster than a speeding bullet.

"Hey, let me out!" Norah did scream and yell,
Not knowing if she could be heard from the belly into which she fell.
With a snort and a grumble the narwhal did answer,
"I'm so hungry I could eat a hamster."
Norah thought that made no sense at all,
But decided not to say that to the ravenous narwhal.

Instead, Norah thought she would offer another option.
To the narwhal she said, with great caution,
"Why not munch on some fish?
Wouldn't they make for a tasty dish?"
"No," the narwhal said with a jolting shake of its head.
"The fish are my friends and I do not wish them dead."

Norah thought perhaps the narwhal had a point,
Yet she also still wished to get out of this joint.
And so Norah gathered her nerve and to the narwhal said,
"I also, you could say, wish not to be dead."
She thought she heard the narwhal sigh,
And then she was certain it had begun to cry.

Unsure what to do,
Norah asked, "What's your favorite food?"
With a sniffle the narwhal managed to mumble,
"I love to eat bananas by the bundle."

"Well, that's perfect!" Norah declared.
But the narwhal's crying only flared.
"No, it's not," the bawling beast moaned.
"I've run out of bananas and so my snack is postponed."

"But now you're in luck," Norah tried to speak again.
"Because I know where to find dozens of bananas times ten!"
"Really?" asked the hungry narwhal,
Who now had ceased to bawl.
"Really," Norah affirmed with a smile that spanned ear to ear.
"I'll take you there if you'll just let me out of here."

With a belch and a cough,
The narwhal let Norah out of its belly like a blast-off.
Hair soaked with narwhal drool,
Norah was glad to be back in her sea of a pool.
Though she wanted nothing more than to return to her surfboard,
She was not a girl to go against her word.

"Come on, follow me," Norah said to the narwhal,
Whom she now learned was named none other than Paul.
They swam together through the waves to the shore,
Where Norah pointed to some trees that numbered at least a score.

Norah asked, "Do you see what grows on those trees?"
Squinting his eyes so that he could better see,
Paul shouted, "Bananas!"
That yellow fruit was apparently his manna.

And so began the friendship of Norah and Paul,
A girl and her buddy narwhal.
Every day Paul would visit Norah while she surfed,
For the sea and its waves were both of their turf.
Of course, Norah never met Paul empty-handed,
But instead ensured that he never again ran out of bananas.

Obviously, Norah had to be a kitty character. Obviously.



***

Now, I asked Thimble to snap some shots of herself to share today. The thing is, she got a bit distracted.

We actually had ourselves some sunshine, which made for a wonderful light show on the ceiling and walls. Though Evan is the biggest light chaser in the house, Thimble enjoys the sport as well. In fact, she's entering her gratitude for sunshine and light shows into Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!

Thimble and Evan, and of course all of us, are indeed happy for the beautiful sunshine we've been having, which of course means lots of lights to chase. We are all also thankful that we have each other, that we have a cozy home, and that we have such wonderful friends as all of you.

Wishing all of you friends of ours a beautiful day!

***

Our Tip of the Day:
Our tips for National Pet Poison Awareness Month continue on, and we have yet another random household item to be aware of due to the potentially toxic effects that can result if ingested. What we're talking about today are coins. Coins, such as pennies, contain zinc, which can lead to toxicity and serious side effects if ingested in large enough quantities. Zinc poisoning can result in vomiting as well as increased respiration rate and heart rate. Zinc can also damage blood cells. For these reasons, as well as for the choking and obstruction hazards that coins can pose, be sure to always keep coins out of your kitty or pup's reach. Some animals will put anything and everything into their mouth, which could of course lead to danger with items such as coins. So, keep those coins safely tucked away!