Day 361: The Wonky Plane

The Wonky Plane
by
Matt Zurbo

 

Corey had an aeroplane, as many kids in her parts did –

aeroplanes, ponies, billycarts, a horse called the Cisco Kid.

A pogo stick, a hot air balloon, they liked to get around –

if nothing else it all made for, a very exiting town!

Corey’s plane was different, though. It was kind of wonky.

A wonky plane, with a co-pilot of a loopy donkey.

Most of the other kids liked to laugh at the sight,

of a flying machine so dodgy, it filled its pilot with fright!

The plane would not obey a single rule, and ignored every fact.

It didn’t take Corey where she wanted… yet… direction it did not lack.

The wonky plane with loopy donkey took Corey where she needed to be,

bumping, clunking, farting, drooping, scraping the top of trees.

Like to a pool on a hot day, when Corey needed a dip,
(Plane skimming across water upside down, girl’s head underwater.)

Or to the soccer pitch, when her friends needed a lift.
(Eleven happy, dawky kids, and one terrified ref, sitting all over the plane, on wings, etc..)

Today, determined for once, to follow some sort of plan,

Corey called “TO THE PARK…!”, only to bump into a fairground van!
(Plane crashing into food stall van at fair. Every second person in line for food is a clown.)

There were too many clowns at said fair, for any one event,

so the girl with the wonky plane, plucked them from the big tent.
(Plane flying low, three clowns running, another four bundled up in the front of the plane/hanging off wings, etc…)

A wonky plane was bad enough, just like being seasick,

but wings full of laughing, happy, fighting clowns, all doing silly tricks?

The wonky plane dropped one at the zoo, to cheer up the gorilla.

Another at an awkward birthday party, who proved to be a winner.
(Clown doing magic tricks as he awkwardly falls from sky. Kid on own with cake, watching.)

One clown was left at lonely Nan’s, so they could both sip tea.
(Nan sipping tea, clown sitting politely opposite, one end of small hose in cup, other end, with flower, squirting into wide open mouth.)

Another dumped to keep humourless fishermen company at sea.
(Donkey on wing, kicking clown tumbling through air/rain, as fishermen look up.)

The wonky plane kept wobbling, its donkey braying “HE-HAW! HE-HAW!”,

eating Corey’s hair while dropping two clowns at the orphanage door.

Corey was proud as punch! “My wonky plane and I did good!”

she bragged to the snotty, tidy sorts, throughout her neighbourhood.

Saving one clown for herself, Corey bellowed “TO THE MOON AND ALL ITS ROCKS!”

But the wonky plane, with loopy donkey, and scared clown,

simply BUCKED

shaking Corey and her loopy donkey off!

She tumbled past the gorilla, through some magic tricks,

bowled over Nan, two fishermen, and several orphanage kids!

Rolling, spinning, cursing, tumbling, chaos ruled throughout the block!

Corey span so hard, she lost her shoes and socks!
(Girl tumbling, shoes and socks coming off, everybody chasing her. The tidy kids in good sky vehicles/balloons/Chinese kites, etc, are watching, laughing, pointing.)

Bouncing off a tree, chased by and angry crowd,

she crashed through her front door, with a BANG that was very loud!

There, in the doorway, stood Corey, backed by an awkward mob,

of the shy, lonely, angry, lost, the left behind and a few fisherslobs!

“Ahh,” Mum and Dad gasped. “We see you’ve brought some friends!”

And a good time was had by all, the sort you wish never ends!
(Everybody around a trestle table, eating, drinking punch, laughing, clowns playing instruments, letting off confetti crackers, all having a ball!)

Much, much later that night, out in the still of the backyard,

Corey heard the CLUNK, RATTLE, ‘tink!’, of something landing very hard.

The wonky plane had landed, in its typical way,
battered, dented,
oh, just like her!

Perfectly imperfect,

ready for another day!

The End