A view from under the pew — Aug. 15

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

a tale of two frogs

boss pastor leroy beetle

was a bit discouraged

the other day he told

me that he dreaded the

effects of summer and its

warm care-free days in the

church pew underworld

you mean about folks

taking time off for

the weekends i asked

no not just that he

said everybody needs

some time away and

off to themselves even

mice and little bugs

so what is there

to cause despair

i said and stared

everything

and anything

he complained

it s mostly an attitude

in dire need of rectitude

it s a real mindset

against holding pat

everyone bails out

only a few stand stout

surely you re being

unfair in your pity and

despair

not so

he crowed

they run to the beaches

they run to the towns

they run past the leeches

they run with the hounds

with their families they

play and from the church

they stray

to the movies they go

and follow the fleshly flow

oh sure they always say

to church i ll come

some day

like when hell begins to

snow and it starts to

freeze below

with a sigh

he began to cry

amos said he

please tell to me --

as a cheery remedy --

the tale of the two frogs

sure said i

but please don t cry

all right said he

then listen to me

this tale s not original

with me for it s copied

you see from a sermon i

did see so here it be

in all its refinery

the tale of two frogs

two frogs fell into a deep

cream bowl

one was a rather

hardy soul

but the other took a

gloomy view

we shall drown he cried

without more ado

so with a last despairing cry

he flung up his legs and

said goodbye

quoth the other frog with a

merry grin

i can t get out but i won t

give in

i ll just swim round till

my strength is spent

then will i die the

more content

bravely he swam till it

would seem

his struggles began to

churn the cream

on top of the butter

at last he stopped

and out of the bowl

he joyfully hopped

what of the moral -- it s

easily found

if you can t hop out

keep swimming round

boss a bit of commitment

in churning church butter --

that is in service for jesus --

can set life free and

makes the world taste

better to the nth degree --

with a seasoning beyond

reasoning –

i m sure

you ll agree

amos