Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! Our title probably gives away what we're up to today, just as it does every Thursday. As always, we'll kick this Thursday off with the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge, hosted by none other than Angel Sammy and Teddy.

Our hosts always find a fantastic photo to share with us as a prompt. For this week's poetry, our hosts shared this phenomenal photo with us:

I always try to give a brief explanation (which often turns into a painfully long explanation) about how I got from the photo prompt to the poem I'm sharing. I feel like this might help you all better understand how I end up with the strange poems that I do. Now, let's see if I can actually make this explanation bearably brief.

So, this week's photo looked to me like it could be an image of a portal capable of transporting you into some magical jungle land. That's probably because I am a huge fan of the fantasy genre and read books like The Chronicles of Narnia as a child. Has anyone else read The Chronicles of Narnia? These books include a character named Aslan, who happens to be a great and magical lion. Anyway, I sort of went with these thoughts and then ended up with the poem below.

(Disclaimer: The poem below is insanely long. I had a story idea in mind, and then it took me some sort of eternity to get from point A to point B in said story. Kudos to anyone who makes it through this lengthy rhyme.)

Josie and the Jungle Cats

It was an annual family event,
When Josie and fam would head for the hills and pitch a tent.
This year they set up camp in a secret cave,
Out of which they could see the beginning and the end of the day.

On their first night camping in their cave beside the forest,
They sat around the fire listening to the crickets sing their chorus.
But the crickets were not all that young Josie heard,
For it sounded as if something in the nearby jungle stirred.
The underbrush wiggled and rustled and moved,
The bushes swaying as if dancing their very own groove.

Had anyone else seen that?
Ma and Pa said it was probably just a rat.
But Josie didn't think rats had a striped tail,
Which she was certain she'd just seen over there off of that trail.

Before long, the campfire did sputter and die,
And it was time to get some shut-eye.
Josie had to admit that she really was quite tired,
 So to her sleeping bag she indeed retired.

Josie did not know how long she slept,
Before something in the forest her ears did detect.
The moon and stars twinkled above the forest's trees,
While on its floor something rustled and made Josie freeze.

Then there it was again,
That striped tail Josie had seen before going to bed.
That was most definitely not the tail of a rat,
Josie knew she was right about that.

Then the tail moved and disappeared,
Yet the rustling in the forest Josie still could hear.
Her curiosity was more than just piqued,
And from the camp in the cave she did sneak.

Tiptoeing to the edge of the forest,
Josie stopped and wondered if this idea was one of her poorest.
She shrugged and then stepped lightly inside,
Into the jungle that spanned so wide.

Josie gazed into the darkness the best that she could,
But saw nothing of interest from where she stood.
And so she tiptoed farther, farther, and farther some more,
Hoping to see what had rustled the bushes on the forest floor.
Perhaps she would see a sign of that tail with stripes,
If she only just stepped farther a few more times.

But, alas, nothing caught Josie's eye.
She was now also sure she was lost, she could not lie.
Josie had traveled from camp just a few too many steps,
And she did not even have a compass to check.
Surrounding her from every which way were trees and more trees,
And that was all that her two little eyes could see.

Josie knew there was a trail somewhere nearby,
She had seen it earlier with her own two eyes.
Had it been over there to her left?
But she only became more lost with every single step.

Josie tried and tried to remain calm,
But fear was welling up inside her like a ticking time bomb.
She was starting to feel a tad bit manic,
For it was surely never too early to panic.

Young Josie wanted to call for help,
But she feared something unsavory would hear her yelp.
What if the thing with the striped tail was less than benevolent?
What if it was a jungle creature terrifying and petulant?

Now nearly on the verge of tears,
Still unsure which way herself she should steer,
Josie yet again heard that rustling.
Something was in a nearby bush bustling.

Then there it was rising above the bush,
That striped tail that seemed attached to something now in a rush.
Then out from its hiding place it appeared,
And Josie was filled with both wonder and fear.

Attached to that striped tail was a giant striped body,
Which led up to a head that was far from shoddy.
Orange and black and with eyes lit like amber fire,
Standing before Josie was none other than a tiger.

All Josie could do was stand frozen in place,
As the tiger looked her dead in the face.
Regretting having left the camp's safety,
Josie realized her curiosity had been nothing but crazy.
After all, now in front of her stood a tiger,
And Josie without even a torch to guide her.

Josie really quite liked cats,
But she thought this wasn't really the time or place for that.
And so Josie tried with all her might to formulate a plan.
She wondered what would happen if she simply ran.
But she did not get the chance to try that thought out,
For the tiger right then and there lifted its snout,
And without further ado said, "Hello,"
Which gave Josie's sanity quite a blow.

Josie stuttered and asked, "You can talk?"
Her voice was no more than a squawk.
"Obviously," was what the tiger said in reply.
Josie was not sure whether to run, scream, or cry.

Then the tiger spoke again.
"You look lost," it told Josie right then.
It spoke the truth, that was for sure,
And Josie wondered if for this situation there was any cure.

Finally, Josie simply had to plea,
"Please, if you will, don't eat me."
The tiger laughed and laughed at that.
At least, that's what sounded like came out of the big cat.

"I don't eat little girls," the tiger purred.
"Whatever gave you an idea so absurd?"
Now feeling better about the situation at hand,
Josie could finally laugh along with her new friend.

The tiger's laughter died down with a purr.
Then it extended a paw with, "My name is Ginger."
Josie reciprocated the greeting in kind,
Taking Ginger's paw with confused thoughts flying through her mind.

"I will help you find your way back to camp, Josie, my friend,"
Were the next words Ginger the tiger did lend.
"But first," Ginger said, "can I ask you a favor?"
"Of course," Josie replied without waver.

Ginger nodded her grand head to the right,
And asked Josie if she would come with her a bit farther into the night.
At first Josie felt a wave of trepidation,
But then decided to trust Ginger without hesitation.
She hoped that decision would not be met with regret,
And then followed the way her feline friend did set.

 They passed tree after tree in this forested land,
And Josie began to wonder how far this jungle really spanned.
But then Ginger said they had reached their destination,
Making it sound as if they had arrived at a whole new nation.

Ginger stepped between two trees,
And when Josie followed she could not believe what she did see.
It was indeed as if she had stepped into a whole new realm,
Where there was nothing but light and color amongst the oaks and elms.

Then, Josie saw, Ginger was not alone in this place,
For there were all sorts of big cats moving about with grace.
Other tigers glided here and there.
There were lions, panthers, and cats everywhere!

Each cat who saw Josie offered her a purr,
And she felt not even an ounce of fear inside of her.
But then she looked left and something caught her eye,
And the sight quite honestly made her want to cry.

There beside a tree sat a tiger in a cage.
It looked quite sad and of a very young age.
Bigger cats surrounded this little cat's prison,
All of them looking with sadness quite stricken.

"What's going on here?" Josie asked,
As she pointed to the cage holding the little cat.
Ginger made her way to the cage and did quaver,
Saying, "This is why I asked of you a favor."

Ginger then gave Josie the recap.
A man of Josie's kind had set that cage as a trap,
And with the little tiger inside it did close with a snap.
Ginger and the others brought it back to this safe haven,
But they realized they were unable to open it and were all quite shaken.
Ginger finished, "We cats lack the opposable thumbs for the task.
That is why for your help, Josie, I did ask."

Josie knew right then and there what she must do,
And she hurried over to the cage without further ado.
Josie found the cage's imprisoning clasp,
And then set her fingers and thumb to the task.
Not long thereafter the cage opened wide,
And the little tiger jumped outside.

Every single cat then chirped and purred in delight,
Thanking Josie with all of their might.
Then one panther grabbed the troublesome cage in its jaws,
And tossed it out of sight with its mighty paws.

 After the celebrations and thanksgiving,
Ginger told Josie that before long her parents would find her missing.
The tiger said, "Shall we now help you find your way?
So that you can be back at your camp before the break of day?"

Though she was sad to leave her new friends,
Josie knew this adventure would eventually have to end.
And so Ginger guided Josie back through the trees.
They walked and talked as through the jungle blew a breeze.

Before long, Josie's camp was in sight,
The campfire nothing but embers in the night.
"Farewell, Josie, my friend," Ginger did say.
Josie gave her a hug and then slowly went on her way.

Josie did not think she could sleep after that,
But when she wriggled into her sleeping bag she fell into a nap.
When she awoke she could not help but wonder if it had all been a dream.
Had she really seen all that she had seen?

Josie let her gaze drift over to the jungle beyond,
And the sight she saw was really quite fond.
There amongst the bushes was that striped tail,
And Josie knew that her new friends were real without fail.

 

***

Now Thimble is here for a closeup shot of what she's been up to.

This girl has yet again been basking in the glorious sun we've been having. It may still be plenty cold out there these days, but it sure is nice to see the sun, and to bask in its warm and cozy sun puddles. That's why Thimble is entering her gratitude for the sun into Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

We are indeed so very thankful for the sunshine, and that spring is just around the corner. We are thankful that our grass is starting to turn green again, and that lovely flowers are starting to pop up all over the neighborhood. Even more so, as always, we are so thankful for family and friends, like all of you!

To all of you friends of ours, we wish you a most terrific Thursday!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Today's National Pet Poison Awareness Month tip is yet another one regarding random yet potentially toxic items that might be found in the the home. Today's household item to be aware of is matches. Matches can contain potentially toxic substances, such as potassium nitrate. It is also possible for matches to contain heavy metals or other dangerous components. Ingestion of matches can lead to toxicity for your furbaby, with the effects depending on the quantity ingested. Poisoning from the ingestion of matches can result in symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Consuming items such as matches can also lead to a variety of other problems, such as perforation or obstruction of the bowels. Needless to say, to prevent any such issues, of course keep matches and all dangerous items well out of reach of your kitty or pup.

In this same line of thought, also keep items such as lighters and lighter fluids hidden away. These can also contain components that are potentially toxic to kitties and pups. And what do we always say? It's better to be safe than sorry!