Happy Thursday! We'll do like we always do and kick off this post with a bit of a rhyme. Why? Because it's time for
Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge!
Our host always courteously helps us along with a photo prompt. This week's image is this one here:
As I've mentioned the past couple of weeks, no matter the prompt, my Halloween-loving mind is determined to make all of my October poems ones relating in some way to Halloween. So, of course that meant I had to get some brainstorming done to sort that out for the image above. The result was yet another weird and wacky rhyme, and that rhyme is right here:
Frank
Francis was a boy of thirteen,
And he greatly wished to belong to the chess scene.
He enjoyed a game that challenged his mind,
And he sought out others of this same kind.
On one cool, crisp October night,
Francis found himself faced with a most exciting sight.
He was enjoying a walk with his cat when he saw a pair of old men.
They were playing a game of chess on a nearby park bench.
Francis made his way over straight away.
He asked the old men, "Might I be able to play?"
"No," the nearest old man said without hesitation.
He waved Francis away with his cane in a manner quite brazen.
Francis stood a few feet back,
Hoping to avoid the cane's painful smack.
"I know how to play, I promise," Francis told the old men.
The same grumpy one gave him a hefty frown just then.
The other old man offered a shrug and a sigh.
He asked his cranky friend, "Would it be so bad to let the boy try?"
"Yes, it would," the cranky one practically shouted.
"No kids allowed," was what he then said about it.
Matters were only made worse for Francis soon after that,
When his cat Pumpkin jumped from his shoulder to wreak havoc.
The furry friend had caught sight of the chess pieces on the board,
And he quite clearly thought he had scored.
After all, he jumped onto the game like orange lightning,
Batting the pieces all around to the grumpy old man's disliking.
The friendlier of the two let out a laugh,
But the old man with an attitude had something else to say about that.
He waved a finger straight at Francis and did shout,
"We don't allow kids, or cats who run amok and all about!"
The kinder old man smiled and gave Pumpkin the cat a pat,
But then bid Francis farewell with a tip of his hat.
Francis gathered up Pumpkin and made his way home.
He no longer wished to play chess all alone.
He sat down and had himself a long think,
And that's when he remembered his grandpa Frank.
Francis ran down the hall and said to his mom,
"Trick-or-treating is tomorrow at dawn."
His mother nodded and said to her son,
"Yes, I am aware that Halloween is tomorrow, hon.
Did you change your mind and decide you want a costume?"
His mother was smart and had correctly presumed.
With his mother's help, Francis threw together a costume on Halloween.
When he looked in the mirror, he smiled at what he did see.
He grabbed his candy bucket and ran out the door.
The boy and purring Pumpkin earned candy, and more candy and more.
Having partaken in the festivities,
Having filled his bucket with candy on that Halloween,
Francis and his cat soon stood beneath a sky that, other than stars, was dark.
They then made their way to none other than the park.
As Francis approached, he caught sight of the two old men from before.
They were yet again playing an engaging game on their chessboard.
Francis petted Pumpkin but said,
"You stay here for a bit, buddy, while I go ahead.
I don't want that grumpy old man wishing you dead."
When Pumpkin settled himself for a nap in the grass,
Into the park Francis did walk, though not fast.
When he approached the old men and their game,
They both looked up and said, "Hello, good sir! What's your name?"
Francis straightened the collar of his grandpa's shirt.
As he pulled at the sweater and slacks, he did blurt,
"Frank. Frank is my name, old pals."
It would seem his mother had truly helped him look the part back at the house.
She even helped him put on a wig as grey as a mouse.
She also drew wrinkles on his forehead and around his mouth.
Before he knew it, Francis was playing the cranky old man in a game of chess.
He wouldn't let on that he was a kid, for the best.
He wanted proper adversaries to play,
And becoming his grandpa Frank was perhaps the only way.
He at least got to enjoy his candy as he played.
The old men even tasted the candy he pushed their way.
The game was fierce and the opponent clever.
Francis was adept and knew the game well, however.
He was one move way from telling the grumpy old man, "Checkmate,"
When out of the bushes something dashed and darted their way.
It was Pumpkin, and he yet again landed right in the middle of the chessboard.
The pawns and rooks flew all about, and there was now no way to tell the score.
Francis grabbed his furry friend Pumpkin, who let out not one meow but four.
The grumpy old man pointed to the cat and shouted, "Wait just a minute!"
Then to Francis he said, "Is that you, kid, you sneaky little twit?"
The grumpy old man pulled at the wig Francis wore on his head.
It came off to reveal his dark hair instead.
Francis hoped the old man didn't leave him for dead.
The kinder old man stepped in, though.
He said, "Now you just settle down there, Mo.
I think we just got proof that age doesn't matter.
This boy almost had you beat, Mo, you mad hatter."
Grumpy old Mo scoffed and waved his cane in the air.
"Beginner's luck," he said. "I'm not scared."
"Then let him play again," the other old man said.
Mo mumbled and grumbled but agreed under his breath.
Can you guess what happened after that?
Francis beat old Mo, and he beat him three times as a matter of fact.
By then, Mo frowned but had something to admit.
He told Francis, "Clearly you know the game well enough to win.
Fine. Come back tomorrow night and we'll have a rematch."
Francis could not help but clap and smile at that.
And can you guess what happened after that?
Francis met the old men in the park every night, even with his Pumpkin the cat.
The old men played chess game after chess game with Francis from that day on.
They would play so late their eyes would droop as they yawned.
Truth be told, Francis proved himself the reigning champion.
It seemed he knew chess better than the two old men.
He was finally one day deemed a friend by grumpy old Mo,
Who even then deemed Pumpkin a furry friend rather than a foe.
***
Now, of course, we're ready for Thimble and her Thankfuls. Thimble is of course always grateful for her forever home. She is especially thankful for some of her favorite rooms in said home.
Thimble is thankful for the little library we have in our house, which is indeed one of her favorite rooms. After all, it's where she can find not only her books, but also one of her favorite windows. That being said, the particular bookshelf you see in that there photo has, unfortunately, been used and abused by the resident human a bit too much. Thimble is not fond of that fact, as she likes everything in her library to be neat and tidy. Honestly, do you see how books are sloppily stacked all over that shelf? Thimble is not impressed. Don't worry, though, Thimble, because that bookshelf is on this here human's list of things to clean and sort. Hopefully Thimble can soon yet again be thankful for organized shelves in her library.
We're also, of course, thankful for friends like all of you!
***
Last but not least, we'll be sharing the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of
15andmeowing crafted up the first two, and I came up with the second two.
1. I didn't _________ until I _________.
2. I try to _________.
3. My fear of _________ keeps me from _________.
4. If I were a ghost, I would haunt _________.
We'll see you tomorrow, friends!
***
Here's a quick reminder about our Halloween giveaway, which is open until tomorrow evening. Up for grabs is a little cat-o'-lantern pillow this here human's mom sewed, as well as some frightfully festive kitty toys and a little something I'm crafting up at my art desk. Just visit our post from Tuesday and leave a comment on that post to enter to win. To go to that post, just click
here.
***
Halloween Tip of the Day
Today's Halloween tip is to know your local area's trick-or-treat details in order to be prepared, whether or not you are handing out candy or otherwise joining in on the festivities. Two of the important things to know are when trick-or-treat hours are, and what indicates whether trick-or-treaters should come to your door. It's important to know these Halloween festivity details so that you can have your pup or kitty home from a walk before traffic increases, for example, or to have your black cats and other furbabies safely inside before people begin filling the streets in search of candy. If you are handing out candy, it's good to know trick-or-treat hours so that you can have your kitty or pup tucked securely away from the door before the first trick-or-treaters arrive. In many areas, a house with its post light on is one where trick-or-treaters can go for some loot. In the event that you're handing out candy, be sure to only have your post light on when you're furbaby is in a safe area of the home, again away from the door. If you are not handing out candy, it's of course still important to know the hours and other details of Halloween festivities in your area. This will ensure that you can have your post light off at the correct hours, in order to avoid knocks at the door or the doorbell ringing and scaring your furbaby needlessly. It's always good to be informed of the details of anything that might affect your furbaby, and that includes Halloween night festivities.
