Day 130: Shiny Object

Shiny Object
by
Matt Zurbo

 

Zloink was a monster
not at all like the rest.
Full of string and sinew,
limbs twisted and stretched.

Everything was dark, bloody,
as he saw the world,
creeping through the shadows,
as a night unfurled.

Lonely, somewhat bored,
eating a dead cat,
“I want something more,” he mused,
to a grimacing man-bat.

Then he saw the strangest thing,
sitting on the ground,
bent down to sniff at it;
“What is this I’ve found?”
(Small, colourful child’s ball.)

So smooth, shiny,
colourful!
Zloink was mesmerised!
He poked at it, then ran and hid,
still watching with five eyes.

Zlionk tossed the object high,
to see if it would fly.
It bounced on this and that,
stopping in a gutter near by.

Fascinated, amused,
Zloink guessed this was ‘fun’,
something he’d been warned about,
by the Demons of the Sun.

Two or three appeared,
sensing a good mood.
“You are what you are,” they warned.
“Filthy, rotten, lewd.”

Zloink just ignored them,
threw the object against a wall.
Caught it, threw it again,
having a monster ball!

“Wait! We can’t have this!”
the mighty Groutlings called.
“Stop him!” Dusk Dogs howled,
at they ripped and mauled.

Zloink hugged the object,
ready for a fight,
but no creature would take on,
the strength of righteous might.
(Zloink hunched around ball in hands, looking suspiciously sideways.)

Zloik kicked the object in the air,
chased it down hobbled streets,
fetched it back to himself,
as if life was a treat.

He then placed the object high,
to bow to and worship it,
crossed his legs, hummed,
achieved Zloink zen a bit.

“Enough’s enough!” a mighty
lady Gwrink raged,
using her driftwood club,
to bat the object away.

The object landed in a bowl,
of pea and ham soup,
Zloink chased and fetched it,
back to his humble coop.
(Zloink’s eye appearing over table edge, looking at ball in bowl of soup.)

The lady Gwrink, furious,
smacked the object away again,
this time landing it,
amongst roosters and hens.

Stopping for a feast,
he would blame on a fox,
Zloink returned the object,
to the land of molten rocks.

Next the object was slapped
up to the storm gods,
who pelted Zloink with lightening
as he chased it like a dog.

Thus began the game,
of cricket as monsters know it.
The rage, the anger, the jeer,
for a small, colourful object.

Soon, Zloink had had enough!
His ‘fun’ replaced by rage!
He thundered and he tore,
as authorities were paged.
(Zloink biting off arm of other monster with ball.)

“Stop at once! What is all this?
“Everything desist!”
boomed 20 foot Monster Lords,
invading the monster pitch.

A court established, charges declared,
Zloink was put on trial,
for daring to have fun,
and to almost smile.

“I regret nothing,”
Zloink grumbled and foamed,
before taking club and shiny object,
and then stomping home.
(Double page of Zloink, club under arm, ball in hand, head high, walking off, damage everywhere.)

Monster Lords were so impressed,
they gave Zloink a general’s rank,
(A position, quite frankly,
Zloink thought kind of stank.)

Zoink did not want attention,
didn’t care that he was feared.
All he now really wanted
was to avoid all of his peers.
(Zoink, cradling ball, hood on, sneaking away from giant, sleeping guard/monster.)

Slipping away from other monsters,
Zloink steered clear of human’s, too,
save some kids,

down the block,

he’d slink out to have fun with,
(Zloink slinking, ball in hand, baseball cap and t-shirt disguise on.)

for an hour or two.      
(Zloink and kid playing down-ball with the ball against a wall while another kid watches.)

 

The End