Songs From The Uninvited Guest
Caw! Caw! Thief! Thief!
What do you think you are doing?
Caw! Caw! Thief! Thief!
What are you trying to do?
Caw! Caw! Thief! Thief!
You'd better hand them over
Caw! Caw! Thief! Thief!
They don't belong to you!
Toddathon Tout, Toddathon Tout,
this is the forest of Toddathon Tout,
darker than night and brighter than day,
once you've arrived you're destined to stay
You can run, you can hide, you can fly, you can flee,
But it won't help a bit, you will never be free
Unless your eyes and your heart are full
to find yourself a miracle
We see you're a victim of old poison oak,
best go down to the pond now and give it a soak,
Just watch out for the fishes, they're not always nice
But they'll let you go swimming if you pay the price
Gold for silver, but you'd better beware,
and when you are finished go take a nice pear
Bite it, chew it, swallow it down,
Then be on your way girl, don't dawdle around.
You can take an extra, or two at the most,
Try not to be greedy, please honor your host
These pears, they are special, not something to waste
So save them for later, just in case
There may come a time when you're losing your way
You're stuck in the forest, on some dreadful day
Backed into a corner and caught at wit's end,
with no place to run to, no chance to defend,
Just remember we sisters, and think of the pears
Forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
And as simple as counting to one, two, and three
Let the pear do its magic and you will be free
That's all we can tell you, that's all that we know
Your story's just starting, now get up and go
Singing sisters are we, so take our advice,
Don't come back to this spot, for if you come twice
There is room in the chorus to add one more
Then we shall become the sisters four
Beware of the lurkers! Take heed! Beware!
Lying in wait for someone like you
Quick as the lightning, smart as a fox
Ready to pounce and then you are through
Down, down and into the ground
That's where the lurkers roam
Try as you might you will not escape
You'll never get back to your home
At one time I used to be,
of all this forest the biggest tree,
But if you think this isn't so,
sit down and hear my tales of woe
A sturdy oak I stood so tall,
through spring and summer, winter, fall
My trunk was thick, my leaves so green,
a finer tree you've never seen
My branches reached up to the sky,
but now I bow to weep and cry,
The birds sat proudly on those branches,
squirrels leapt and did their dances
And shade I offered passersby,
with limbs held firm and head held high
From the top of me you could see forever,
I guess I must have been too clever
Old Toddathon Tout he sought me out,
and then I was no longer stout
No longer proud and standing, shining,
instead a willow weeping, whining,
Never a smile, always a frown,
I wish they'd come and just cut me down
A tiny stump I'd sooner be,
and not this flimsy willow tree
And if you tire of my tales of woe,
I offer this solace: please get up and go
For if you sit here for too long,
you'll become a part of my sad, sad song
Here I come, always on cue
It's good old Shorty to the rescue!
Day or night, I do not care
I'm at your service, anytime, anywhere
No job too big and none too small
Just call my name, I can do it all
No matter how tough the task may seem
Big Bertha and me, we're a heck of a team
We go to great lengths to reach our goal
Come on old girl, it's time to roll
All poems © Len Senecal 2021
Bark all you want, cry and whine
You won't catch me because dogs can't climb
Thought you had me, foolish pup
I guess you'll never learn
That dogs are slow and cats are fast
And I've got speed to burn
Not only that now can't you see
that even if you could catch me
My claws are sharp, my teeth are too
I'd put you to the test
And when our fight was said and done
You'd come out second best
Now quick, before I scratch your eyes,
Go pick on something your own size
Just run away and chase your tail
Mess with me and you're bound to fail
We are the lurkers of great renown
If you trespass we'll pull you down
Then we shall smile, and you shall frown
When you take the trip to lurker town
Whether you've come from far or near
You'll adjust to our atmosphere
Let us make one thing quite clear
You can't escape us, but have no fear
There is no need to fight or fuss
No need to cry, no need to cuss
Nothing we need to discuss
In time you'll be like all of us
Big or little, short or tall
Come and join us, one and all
Yes come and hear the lurkers call
It's time for you to take a fall
Follow, follow, follow me
There really is no choice
I know what you don't want to see
So follow my sweet voice
Your girl is gone, been carried away
There's nothing you can do
The lurkers they have had their way
It looks like she is through
Once you go down you don't come back
Indeed it is quite tragic
The only chance to counter that
Would be an act of magic
There is no need to wait and see
No time to lie and pout
Just follow, follow, follow me
Escape from Mr. Tout
It's time for you to save yourself
Old Tout, he's on the way
He'll put you on a dusty shelf
And there you'll have to stay
So follow me, dear Willow boy
These words I sing are true
Toddathon Tout will bring no joy
I'm here for your rescue
Follow the water and then you will find
the place where the tiny stream ends
Look for the fires that light the dark sky
And those whom you meet will be friends
Just be careful wherever you wander
And watch what you do and you say
Bad forces are waiting to swallow you up
And those whom you love will betray
For evil can work in mysterious ways
Trust your heart, not your eyes and you'll see
Beware of the stranger who offers you gifts
For nothing worth having is free
The task might seem easy but truly it's hard
To tell what is right from what's wrong
When the moment arrives,
and the choice must be made
Just remember the words to this song
It's Brewfest time, let's give a cheer,
it's the happiest time in the whole darned year
The laughter will come and the cider will flow
So grab a mug let your troubles go
Come on now, no time to waste
there's barrels of cider for you to taste
Sweet ones, sour, bitter and stout
They're all so fine they'll make you shout
These are the days we love the most
Let's clang those mugs and raise a toast
Come on now, don't be a slug
Raise a toast and clang that mug
Though sometimes we may not agree
At Brewfest time we all can see
Everyday squabbles have no place
So put a smile on every face
It's time to party, come on drink up,
And when it's time for the Brewer's Cup
Though only one can gain first place
We'll all be wearing a happy face
Win or lose, it doesn't matter,
Good times for all and friendly chatter
It's time to let the cider flow
Just grab your mug, come on, let's go!