a view from under the pew: amos and the blustery day

Editor’s note: Amos is a churchmouse, who types by hopping on the computer keyboard, but he can’t operate the capital shift keys, and he shuns punctuation marks – except hyphens and dashes.

amos and the blustery day

yesterday boss i opened the door

of my cozy little matchbox

home in the corner of the

church and slipped outside

through the crack in the wall

in the choir room

the moment i stepped outside

a gust of icy wind slapped me

in the face

shivering i started to go

over to a clump of the

church s rose bushes where

i thought it might be warmer

but when i took my first

step i noticed there was

white flaky stuff all over

the ground - snow - real

live snow

as i took that first step i

realized something else -

it was slick exclamation

point here boss

my four little paws went

four different directions -

as quick as slickety-slick

and slippety-slide -

i first fell on my face

bent my whiskers and

then fell to my side

i rolled over determined

not to fail

i tried to stand but slipped

and crumpled my tail

i was angry hurt and upset

by it all because a graceful

little mouse should never

never fall

why this weather i shouted

at the sky

not seeing at all pastor beetle

passing by

hello amos why the fuss

says he graciously

i don t like the weather

here says i in a huff

it s cold it s icy - and

i hate this white stuff

you know says he the apostle

paul tells us to be content

wherever we are whatever

may fall

well that may be and that s

fine for him says me

cause he s not here in this

muck and frozen air

amos you don t understand

says he you need to see

things a little differently

look on the bright side

open your heart wide

try to see the good

here in your neighborhood

but what can be so wonderful

about frozen toes a runny nose

or a busted water hose says i

what could be so great about

wind and cold