Tuesday, August 25, 2015

The Ballad of Benjamin

Western Leopard Toad

The Ballad of Benjamin

Benjamin was his name, oh
And a happy frog was he
Despite the fact that he could not see
The rest of the world dwelt in misery

Benjamin wished to share this feeling
That welled up inside his soul
With bird and fox and mole
To spread joy was his goal

Without working eyes
Benjamin dared not travel long
So he sang a heartfelt song
In a voice both clear and strong

The other creatures in the land
Came to listen to the tune
In Benjamin's voice of bassline boom
As he bestowed his gleeful boon

Soon Benjamin's goal was met
Through his song of gleeful mirth
Happiness spread around the earth
Where once there was a dearth

Benjamin's good deed brought him goodness in return
Mother Nature blessed him with the gift of sight
He saw his reflection in the light 
At first it gave him quite a fright

Just a moment later, Benjamin laughed at the surprise
"It seems I'm not a frog at all," he said.
"It turns out I'm a toad instead."
But not a single tear was shed

For Benjamin was a happy fellow
Regardless of his outsides

~Aurora~

Note:
I combined two prompts to create this whimsical poem. The Prompts Blog asked us to speculate happiness being invented by a blind frog named Benjamin. It's Open Link Tuesday at Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, and they presented the above picture of a Western Leopard Toad. Thus, the Ballad of Benjamin sprang into being. I hope it made you smile a little.

16 comments:

  1. I do like the fact that you gave the toad a name, and a story!

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  2. Those last lines are great. Fun poem - wise advice

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  3. Replies
    1. Yes, Benjamin is indeed a frog--er--toad with a heart! :-D
      Thanks for visiting.

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  4. I smiled at his first sight of himself. I can relate! LOL.

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    Replies
    1. Me too. Staggering into the bathroom after a particularly deep sleep--heaven have mercy, what is that sight? Oh, it's me! ;-D
      Thanks for visiting!

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  5. Oh that's a good response to the toad prompt!

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  6. Of course a toad can bring happiness and joy. I love a happy take of what joy can bring,

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  7. Amen. Such beauty and wonder in the less obvious.

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  8. Definitely smiling, Toads are one of my favorite critters, I love their bass song and bumpy bods. You reminded me a bit of Rudyard Kipling "Just So Stories."

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  9. This was so sweet! I love this little toad's ballad.

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  10. As a kid we had all kinds of frogs and toads living around us. Crickets too. I grew up with the sounds of these critters as I went to sleep. good times.

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