Friday, December 04, 2009

Scarabee

SCARABEE, n. The same as scarabaeus.
He fell by his own hand
Beneath the great oak tree.
He'd traveled in a foreign land.
He tried to make her understand
The dance that's called the Saraband,
But he called it Scarabee.
He had called it so through an afternoon,
And she, the light of his harem if so might be,
Had smiled and said naught. O the body was fair to see,
All frosted there in the shine o' the moon —
Dead for a Scarabee
And a recollection that came too late.
O Fate!
They buried him where he lay,
He sleeps awaiting the Day,
In state,
And two Possible Puns, moon-eyed and wan,
Gloom over the grave and then move on.
Dead for a Scarabee!
—Fernando Tapple
2009 Update: A dung beetle touched with religion..

9 comments:

Nessa said...

I have to claim the really corny one:

Why would you want to scar a bee?

Flash 55 - Love

Jim said...

Doug, if you didn't live so far away I'd invite you over for chowder. Mrs. Jim is cooking up a pot of scarabees. They go really good on a cold day and are a lot cheaper than clams.
Unless you think eating them might be sacrilegious. If that is the case, just forget I ever invited you, please.
..

Ariel the Thief said...

Great definition, Doug! AND short. :)

Jim, I'd like to go, please invite me too! I am not going eat scarabees, though, they are so perfectly beautiful, I don't think it is polite to eat them.

Anonymous said...

SCARABEE: The scar-a a me I will admit. Dalai Lama reminds me of one for some reason.

quilly said...

I doubt I have ever scared a bee, but since I'm allergic they scare me!

Tom & Icy said...

In China, I think, they would save the Emperor's stools because they thought it was Holy Shit.

Anonymous said...

so a sh*thead with religion
(so much could be said)


RIP
died from
a broken heart

Bless Bless

Doug The Una said...

Nessa, I consider it claimed, although you might share with Quilly.

Well, heck, Jim. Trains leave every day.

Thanks, Ariel. Boats leave, too.

Thom, you might be insufficiently reverent. Cheers.

Quilly, I bet an atropine needle would scare one.

Icy, in Ohio, they used to save Woody Hayes', I hear.

Bless bless, Bear.

Cooper said...

I prefer your more concise definition over his rather lengthy satire. Nice work.