Sailor and Mouse
Elizabeth Jetton
There once was sailor broad and bold
His spirit was as bright as the stories he told
His mind was brilliant his back was strong
His soul was a singing and life was the song
He sat upon his ship crusty and old
Crusted with barnacles and lathered in mold
His ship upon the swift might sea
Life was boring but at least he was free
There was a small mouse tiny and meek
She was fearful, no adventure she did seek
Her fur was white, eyes beady and black
She did worry, a backbone she did lack
The sailor just sat there day by day
He just sat there not a word he did say
The little mouse cried tear by tear
for she had no mousey man to hold close and dear
One day the sailor heard a small little sound
It was quite unpleasant he search and he frowned
It was the small mouse and her very small cry
She did look pitiful he could not deny
He looked at her with a fret and a furry
He said “little darlin’ don’t you cry don’t you worry”
He had to admit she was a mighty fine sight
Against the grey ocean she was gallant light
But he knew deep inside they were too different to be
But love is not something upon everyone will agree
So he swooped her in his hands and held her up high
She looked like an angel with not wings to fly
In a voice tiny and weak
She painted her face with a smile so meek
“I know your just a sailor and I just a mouse
But love is love, and I can be a spouse.”
The sailor let out a laugh giant and bold
He told her a lesson his father had told
He looked in her eyes shiny and pure
She was merely a mouse nothing cavalier
“You’re a silly creature, you know nothing of love
Brilliance is for sailors you’re just a delicate dove,
Why don’t you stick to things that you know?
Like cooking, cleaning, or how to sew.”
The mouse was quite angered, she wasn’t just a delicate dove
She knew this little thing about this thing they call love
Brilliance isn’t just for sailors, it’s for little mice too
This was something the little mouse knew
“I know I am just a mouse tiny and small
But I can do what you can do and all
Brillance isn’t just for sailors bold
This is a lesson my heart told.
I can do anything a sailor can do
I can be brilliant, bold, and strong too
All the same time I am not afraid to be calm
I can give birth, I can be a mom.”
The sailor realized this was something he could not do
Than he realized the small mouse’s words were true
So he took a moment to stop and to freeze
And he bent down and got on his knees
In a sickly sweet voice the sailor than said
“Marry me mouse or I’ll surely be dead
I know I am just a sailor and you’re just a mouse
But love is love and we can play house.”
He looked into her beady black eyes
And she gave him an answer that was surely a surprise
She took a deep breath and dug deep down low
She opened her mouth and squeaked out a “No.”
There once was a sailor who was ignorant and dumb
He let pass by him the best that ever did come
Now he sits on his ship crusty and old
Forever pretending he was brilliant and bold
There once was a mouse tiny and meek
That day she found the wisdom she always did seek
It was not found in a sailor, nor in his house
It was found in the small heart of a very small mouse