Day 355: Hug! (Parts I, II & III)

Bonus time. Both the story, and the two not-quite-there ones that led to it. (This happens often!)

 

 

Hug 
by
Matt Zurbo

 

Hug!
(Girl, smiling. Bit of a tilt in her stance.)

Hug, hug!
(Girl hugging startled boy.)

Hug, hug anything!
(Girl hugging flowers with super long stems into a bunch.)

Make it sigh…
(Girl standing on tippy toes to hug a man with tears on his face, but is now, eyes closed, smiling.)

…make it sing!
(Girl hugging another girl from behind, lifting her off the ground. Other girl, smiling, wide-eyed, singing into microphone.)

Hug a cat!
(Cat trying to escape super big hug. Girl, eyes closed, smiling, covered in scratches.)

Hug a dog.
(Girl hugging dog, pulling ‘yuck’ face as dog slobbers all over her cheek.)

Even hug a wombat, sitting on a log!
(Girl standing on a log, hugging a wombat from behind. It is poking its tongue out as she is crushing it.)

But then, why stop there?
Hold your arms wide at the rising of the breeze!
Feel the air hug you.
Hug whatever you please!
(Double page. Girl, smiling, eyes closed, on a long grass hill, arms out, swirls of wind all about her.)

Hug a fish, if you can,
(Girl hugging, looking shocked as fish slipping up and free!)

a lizard if you must…
(Girl arms out, chasing a lizard running away.)

Just make sure to let go again, if you hug a bus!
(Girl hugging back corner of departing bus. Couple watching look shocked.)

Embrace a rabbit outdoors at night, as if hugging the moon, too.
(Girl hugging rabbit, both lit silver and shadow, moon huge in background.)

Hugging is both free and priceless! It cost nothing to help someone feel less blue!
(Girl smiling, face squished, as Mum and Dad both hug her at once.)

Besides… there might come a day when you need someone to hug you!
(Girl, looking glum, head lowered, tears. But warm smile, being hugged from side by even smaller kid.)

Not everyone will like it.
(Bigger, bully girl holding hand out, stopping girl leaning into a hug.)

You might wear a bruise or two.
(Girl in hugging stance, flying upside-down through air, thrown by a gorilla.)

But making people glad,
less sad,
happy,
(Double page. Girl running to hug three kids, who are running to hug her.)

is the only thing to do!
(Girl walking away from reader, leaping, clicking her heels.)

The End

 

Hug II
by
Matt Zurbo

Dot was a girl in love
with any and everything!
“That’s far too much,” her friends said.
“You’ll never take it all in!”
(Girl arms out with joy. Other kids milling about, watching unimpressed.)

“If I could,” she thought,
“I’d give the world a mighty gift!”
But she had no coin to buy
things to make a spirit lift.
(Holding out empty pockets.) 

Still, Dot thought she had to try,
so hugged all that she saw –
the postman, a rubbish bin,
a cat, a floor, a door.

Hugging the bus was not too bright,
especially when it departed!
When it stopped, Dot jumped free,
then hugged a man who farted!

The fact that most of the world
did not hug Dot back,
did not bother her a bit.
She loved it even more for that.

Dot’s hug stopped meanies fighting,
though they did not say thanks.
She eased a gorilla’s rage,
even squeezed a feral cat!

Little did she know, though,
there was one small boy,
watching everything she did,
which filled his heart with joy.
(Small boy peering at her hugging someone from around corner.) 

Gradually, the small boy’s
affection turned to horror,
as Dot got knocked about,
abused,
shunned,
mistreated like no other.
(Taller bully girl arm out, pushing Dot to ground as Dot tries to hug her.)

The dog she hugged snapped,
the bully stomped her about.
The tree that she embraced,
had bullants that bit with clout!

Battered, splattered, bruised,
simply wanting to share,
poor Dot let out a mighty sigh
full fo great despair.

“Well,” the little boy thought.
“I guess I know what I must do…”
And, standing before Dot,
gave her a hug so true!

He didn’t say a thing,
there was no need for that.
Just did as he had seen,
giving something back.

And Dot felt warm,
(Dot, very happy, bashing into startled person, hugging their waist.)

and Dot felt glad.
(Dot lifting taller person off the ground with her hug.)

And Dot felt safe and loved.
(Dot, Mum and Dad’s face either side, in family hug.)

Such a simple thing;
a hug…
(Arms around shoulders of startled boy and awkward girl.)

just a hug!
(Warm, total hug of someone we can’t really make out.)

A priceless gift of love.
(Dot walking off, not noticing small boy is following her, love hearts rising from him.)

 

The End

 

Hug III
by
Matt Zurbo

Christopher Von Kroople
looked at his demons within.
His fear, hurt and negatives,
were causing quite a din.

He decided sharing love
was the only way to go.
So gave out the best hugs,
felt from head to toe.

To anything and everything,
because his love was true.
He hugged the best, the worst, the weirdest,
even the bus to school.

An in return Christopher Von Kroople
was beat about the place,
picked on, feared, trampled,
laughed at to his face.

“I love you all,” he insisted.
“Life and all it beholds!”
So hugged the doors and walls,
the grass, bees and trolls.

“Ow!” Gah!” Yeowch!”
Things were not going well.
“Oh, Argh! Goink!”
The poor boy was copping hell!

Then a girl sitting on a wall,
gave him some advice.
It was Dot, a loner type,
often quiet, yet seemed nice.

“I hug things every day,”
she sagely confessed.
“But sometimes if you want to give,
you must receive first.”

Christopher didn’t understand
the message that she sent.
So looked beyond his pride,
to know just what she meant.

Von Kroople held out his arms,
and waited for the breeze,
so that the air might hug him,
and put itself at ease.

Then he reached high,
for the sun to take its turn.
Suddenly, it was life-giving,
rather than a thing that burns.

Standing in a stream,
as it bobbled along,
he felt it embrace him,
with its liquid song.

Finally, thinking big,
Christopher fell to earth,
letting the planet hug him,
affection from rock and dirt.

The world gently sighed,
Christopher could have sworn.
So, at last, he hugged it back,
all weathered and worn.

Feeling happy, more content,
he moved on to greet the day,
and found a sad, old lady,
standing in his way.

“I need to hug someone,” she cried.
“I don’t know why…
but…
somehow…
you look the sort to give.”

Which, in a heartbeat,
Christopher gladly did.

 

The End