Stand, Stan Goosey

For My Kids

Stan Goosey lived

Upon a pond

With other geese

...Ducks and swan

Days were slow
Skies always blue 
And the bored little birds 
Had little to do

 To pass the time

The birds would bicker

“My beak is better”

“My plume is thicker”

Now, Stan Goosey was

A cute little fellow

His feathers fluffy

His beak bright yellow

He tried not to listen

To one bored bird word

But wherever he paddled
Un-wise quacks were heard

There was one little duck

By the name of Lucy

She thought herself

Extra cutesy

Hammy the Hog

Taught Lucy to dance

Tony the Pony

Taught Lucy to prance

People would come

Just to see Lucy

But nobody cared

To go see the Goosey

Now Lucy is a duck

Who knew how to gloat

And Stan is a goose

But it would get his goat

Lucky Duck Lucy

Just couldn’t lose, see

And it’s just what Stan Goosey

Couldn’t stand to see

She would pose

When he passed her

And he would posture

In the pasture

Days went by

Under skies of blue

Until one day………

A strange wind blew

A whirly, twirly

Wild wind blew

And it blew through the sky

And it blew out the blue

“It’s coming!”

“Look out!”

He heard scaredy

Carrie Cat shout

The wind howled around him

The rain poured down

Then Stan Goosey’s world

Turned upside down

The Earth fell away

Or was he being lifted?

It was all spinning

Then it all shifted

He didn’t know what

Or how or why

But he was falling

Right out of the sky

(Blank, Black Page)

When Stan Goosey woke up

He was lying in rain

Darkness was everywhere

And so was his pain

The howling and growling

Sounds were surrounding

His head and his heart

Were pumping and pounding

Oh what he wouldn’t give

To be back at the pond

Where was his fairy

With her magic wand?

Then a light flashed

That lit up the skies

As thunder crashed

He saw two eyes

It was one

Willy Wise Owl

Who was one

Really Wise Owl

Willy was an old bird

He lived in the wild

His eyes were kind

And they kind of smiled

Willy knew Stan

Was filled with fear

He also knew Stan

Couldn’t stay here

It’ll be OK,

New pal

Whispered the wise,

Old Owl

You have to get up!
You have to get goin’!

If you want to get out

You have to go in

Into the dark

Straight into the night

The way out is through

It’ll be alright

Poor Stan Goosey

Was frozen with fear

The old bird’s words weren’t

What he wanted to hear

But…but…but…

I don’t know where to go!

I don’t know the way!

I don’t know what to do!

I don’t know what to say!

If you lie here,

You will die here.

Once you get going,
You will start knowing.

Stand, Stan Goosey

Gather Your Courage.

But… but…

What happened and why?

I don’t understand

It’s all so unfair

I’m too scared to stand!

Life is what happened

And it happens to us all

Sometimes we all fly

Sometimes we all fall

Stand, Stan Goosey

Stand.

But….

Stan lifted his head

And pretended to try

Then dropped it back down

And started to cry

It is very scary

When there’s no knowing

Still you must stand

And get your gutsy goosey going

There’s a code in the wild

To which we live up

Often Surrender

But Never Give Up

And then, just like that

Willy was gone

Stan Goosey felt alone

In a night without dawn

Stand, Stan Goosey

Stand! Stand! Stand!

His instant arrived.

His instincts came alive.

His insides awoke.

His intent was survive.

Stan knew it was true

Willy was right

He had to stand

And brave the night

One for no money

Two for no show

Three to get ready

Four to let go

Like a Phoenix rising

From dirt his rebirth

Stan Goosey stood

And stepped forth on the earth

And the earth did not fall

From under his feet

His heart felt braver

With each heart beat

He would stumble and stall

He would crumble and crawl
But again and again
Stand Goosey stood tall

Forward, press forward

No looking back

His focus was fierce

He was on the right track

Step after step

Stan Goosey crept

While back at the pond

The other birds slept

Through the dark, the cold

The wind and the rain

Stand Goosey stood strong

Through all of the pain

Like a knight in the night

His fear was his fight

But in spite of his fright

Insight was insight

And then, in the distance

By the light of the moon

He saw it, a sign

It would be over soon

He felt strength within him

Like never before

And he knew it would last him

Forever more

It was a sight so lovely

The calm break of dawn

And below it, in stillness

A shimmering pond

It was joy in each breath

So he breathed it in deep

Breathing brought it all out

And he began to weep

(Transition page- colorful art, no words)

Drawn from his dream

As straw tickled his nose

He knew where he was

With eyes still closed

He awoke in the moment 

The moment of now

He didn’t see it before

But now he knew how

Life was unfolding

Before his eyes

Each creation was holding

A new surprise

A blossom abloom

A butterfly aflutter

A toad tongue attune

A baby calling for mother

Stan Goosey stopped

To admire a spider

She tried to hide

But Stan Goosey spied her

When he got to the water

He gazed with affection

In the direction

Of his own reflection

And as he paddled around

He became fascinated

With the ripples

That he created

He was adrift in the gift

Of a deep blue sea

When Stan almost ran

Into Duck Lucy

He knew she

Couldn’t too see

This new true

Deep blue sea

So Stan Goosey stopped

And bowed his head

He extended his wing

And Stan Goosey said:

“After you,

My dear friend.”

As their ripples

Began to blend

Stuck Lucy was busy

So she treaded away

But her friend Grace

Decided to stay

Hi! She said

My name is Grace

Isn’t this pond

A beautiful place?

If you ponder this pond

You’ll see a sea!

Say, will you stay

And play with me?

Duck, Duck, Goose

Is the game to know

When you’re the Goose

Don’t duck, just go!

So Gracie stayed

She became his best friend

And Stan Goosey Stood

By her til the end

THE END