Badger Promotions
BADGER
Contact/Email
Band Links
Mail Order
News
Press Releases
Gig Listings
Links Page
The Market Tavern
Badger Poetry
The Old Railway
Badger Resources
Ironman Records

Badger Poetry

Alan Zimbabwe
John Dillinger
Others
Clarence Peabody
Summer Fauve
Nick Green

In the billowing inky night, full of face and from a height,
Lady Lunar cast her gaze, down upon the churning waves,
To where the Kraken roars and roams, down through the depths to hidden homes,
Through schools of fish that turn to learn, their little hearts still hope and yearn
For a bed beyond the Ocean's floor, a little home with roof and door...
Hermit crabs a-scuttle wise, off to find some fresh supplies,
And white whales spout and croon their song, the Lady's gaze then fell upon
A lonesome Turtle, long thought lost, in the tumult tired and tossed,
Far from land and all alone, wet and weary to his bones.

Sorrow then came over-flowing, as she watched his to-and-fro-ing,
Down there in the impact zone, drenched, near drowned and often thrown
Into the sky by angry waves, the lady cried "Oh, I must save
This little heart of shell and bone, I will not let him sink alone...
The storm that steers his weary course dances to my turning force,
So if he sank beneath the swell, my dusty core would crack as well...
With guilt and sadness I'd be wracked, if I let his shell get cracked!
So no more talk! No time for words! Quickly send my Midnight Birds,
To grab my friend and bring him here, safe in my dry seas and rivers."

Streaking through the speckled space, they winged their way with utmost haste,
Noiseless in the numbing nowt, to where the turle tossed about,
And as the birds swooped down from high, The swell swept him into the sky...
Tumbling , turning, up he fell, till two stern claws a-catched his shell,
And dragged him from the foaming flood, he heaved and sighed "That's rather good."
Then heavy eyes let loose their lids,inside his mobile home he hid,
As up and up the birds ascended, to the satellite, new befriended,
And dreamed of Turtle dreams as he rose, like sand and fish I wouild suppose,
Higher, higher, hie they raced, across the hungry maw of space.

The silver sphere was drawing near, the blue ball small, then disappeared,
The birds banked hard upon their course, surrendering to her pulling force,
They dropped down to their destination, the gravity of the situation
Awoke the turtle from his slumber, he rubbed his eyes quite wide with wonder..
As low they swooped through dusty peaks, he dropped his jaw and gave a squeak!.
For turtles were not built for flying, But Myrtle was not sacred of trying,
New things once at least you know, but rather yet say 'yes' or 'no'...
T otrips into another world, before he found himself so hurled
Away from Earth, and sand and sea, Into alternate realities.
 
 
 
 
 

Eventually their flapping stops, above a plateau, on the top
Of one great crater, in clouds of dust, the turtle said "Well, now I trust
You've at least a decent explanation, for my current situation.
I'm not without a gratitude, but what's my current latitude?
Everything looks dry and dead,perhaps the sea has knocked my head..."
He pinched himself, but nothing changed, the birds said "It is all arranged...
You're wanted by the Lunar Queen, who says she met you in a dream,
And sent us suckers winging down, when she feared you neared to drown,
We are not snobs, to bird or beast, but would appreciate thanks, at least."

"A thousand pardons I implore, my course I ask and nothing more,
To where the lady of this place, veils her most familiar face."
One midnight bird stretched out a wing, and daft directions both did sing,
For their not the best foot route devisers, and left our Myrtle none the wiser.
He shrugged his little shoulder home, and said "I'll fare well on my own...
I cannot fail to find her here, I sense her presence drawing near,
And feel her fondness in my eggs, so saying this, he flexes legs,
And without warning up he flew, bounding like some kangaroo,
For gravity has weaker hold, in this ashen moon-land cold.

Across the craters, on he bounced, in plooms of moon-dust mist he flounced,
Like a pebble skimming free, across the Sea of Tranquility,
As he leapt he looked below, where rocks and craters quickly flowed,
And underneath, beyond yon crag, he thought he saw a little flag,
Lurid with the stars and stripes, he shivered then and called out "Cripes!
Don't tell me that their here as well! That would truly make this journey hell!"
Old cold footprints roamed alone, in that dry sea far from home,
But only Myrtle saw them wander, as he bounced up over yonder,
For all callers were long gone, and left their steps to ponder on.

Like a rubber ball he sped, propelled high by little legs,
Across the vast cold lunar nation, closer to his destination,
A strange sensation, sounding thin, like pan pipes, flute or theremin
Caught his little salty ears, and made his eyes well up with tears,
And yet he knew this pining song, and stepped his pace up, up and on,
Towards a broken range of peaks, ragged like some hobo's teeth,
And as their tops grewe ever nearer, now he saw the walls appear,
A glassy palace, shorn with spires, twinkling dreams and all desires,
And at the drawbridge, by the gate, a marble maiden fair did wait.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Down he dropped, and in his shell, sucked his little legs as well,
So when he hit the castle's edge, he landed safe upon a ledge,
And cast a careful eye about, saw the maid, and tottered out...
To greet her open salutations, and seek perhaps an explanation,
She moved to meet him gracefully, he tottered over hastefully,
And bowed his wrinkled head on down, as the lady in the pearly gown
Extended him an ivory hand, and said " Pray welcome to my land...
Turtle wise, and near my love, as I watched you from above,
You filled my dusty heart with tears, so I sent birds to wing you here."

"I've loved you long, without regret, perhaps I'll keep you as my pet...
In my palace, cold and lonely, you and I shall now dwell only
And dine on dust fish, fancy free, that swim across my still white seas...
And Oyster's fare, in craters grown, from my dark side long unknown,
We shall both be well content, and fixed high in the firmament.
But the turtle said "Oh, sweet moon lady, in your country, grey and shady,
I bow and bid you salutations, but with still several reservations,
Come now, take me to your towers, fill my ears for waking hours,
And then I'll choose to stay or go, for this is not my home, you know."

Inside she led the awestruck creature, high above in glowing features
Vast shifting silvery colours shone, up a stairway, round and on,
Crystal carved in full- moon splendour, up it rose, for ever and ever...
Then through arches of vast bone, into the room that held her throne,
With silver footstool at it's side, she sat him down and then she sighed...
"Pray tell me of whereby you came, so close to knowing cold death's name
That would be some awful shocker! Turtle lost in Davey Jones' locker!
So near to meet your final day!", he said"At first I lost my way
No wtery maps, no sighn poists crossed, I swam in circles, tired and lost."

"And as the mounting swell did blacken , chanced I on the Ancient Kraken,
Risen to take your silvery rays, hidden from the light of day,
Vast he swam, like a blubbery isle, like organs pipes stretched wide his smile,
And in his shadow, lost I shivered, praying soon to be delivered,
Crying to the lords of night, to keep me shaded from his sight,
Till one great eye a-spied my shell, and with a voice that worried Hell...
He hissed "Well, now what have we here? A land lost turtle, it appears...
A tiny morsel, it is true, but with my hunger, ought would do...
A sweetmeat fit for before lunch, I long to hear his shell go crunch!"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

"Down, I dove, through churning waves, twisting, turning, trying to save,
My little self from his vast maw, paddling now like ne'er before,
Down to hide in coral holes, last he snap! And snack me whole.
I saw his shadow blot the night, and shivered hidden out of sight,
Smothered by the churning depths, holding to a little breath
Until it seemed my lungs would burst, I paddled up, fearing the worst,
But some other creature, out of sight, satisfied his appetite...
So I paddled slowly here and there, and gasped in gulps of salty air...
Tired and weary , far from home, lost to land and all alone."

She said "Your tale would melt Medusa's heart! But in this play your just a part,
The Kraken wise would still recall, I knew him when he was as small
As you are now, my shell-bound friend, and even he will meet his end
Before I stop a-spinning round, your little world, and looking down,
And every tear or drop of rain, the roaring seas and more are chained
To my alluring inclinations, my monthly will and fascination...
And all who walk there feel my nearness, despite the gulf that broods between us.
Allin all, you're still my children, whence from the ocean I'd arisen,
But that tale's for another time, and not part of these current lines."

Then called she moon-beams bearing banquets, and wrapped tired turtle in turquoise blankets,
Carried to a lunar bower, where snoozed he through his tired hours,
 In dreamless rest, that brought him ease, surrounded by her dead dust seas
That whirled unending through the ether, the wet Earth wept and watched beneath her
And whispered out a keening tune, serenading daughter moon...
The cosmos singing satisfaction, at their old and strange attraction.
Nothing living ever knew the truth of time between thes two...
The moon holds tight and turns her face, from whence walked the elder race,
Where once were things that no-one knows, and will again, I would suppose.

And as the Earth rose in the sky, gazing down with wettened eyes,
The turtle woke, and raised his head, rising from the turquoise bed,
And through the palace he did clatter, through the cold stone, clitter-clatter,
Sparkling multi-facet walls, made our Myrtle feel so small...
He shivered in his lonely shell, felt entranced inside a spell,
Of tragic silence, nought struck the clock, high in a tower of smooth moon-rock,
And down the stairway floats the Queen, from her boudoir, yet unseen...
She pats his nobbly habitation, and says by way of explanation,
"It's time tonight to use my pull, I've waxed and waned, and now I'm full."

The day was spent in silver tongues, she told him of the stars and suns,
And comets arcing on forever, through the cosmos crazy weather,
And how they kept a vast collusion, plotting out their revolutions,
And passed on news as they span near, Saturn's ring or Pluto's sphere,
Echoing calls across the ether, to whatever body sailed beneath her...
Thus they all stayed well informed, of Stars collapsed or Suns new born,
And bid things welcome and goodbye, in the kindergarden sky,
Where as below each has it's season, span and plan, a cause and reason,
And love them all, with warm respect, the great celestiasl architect.

She rose at twilight's fading sun, and said" Dear Turtle, time has come
For us to make our conference, at this, my time of influence,
The tides must swell as sand falls thick, the lovers and the lunatics,
Awaits my fullness of attention, and here now lies my grave intention
Will you accompany me on my arc? Throught the ether, dank and dark?"
Said Turtle, how could I refuse? Bsedides there's really nought to lose,
So where awaits your transportation, down to earthly destinations?
I'll galdly join your roam abroad, I think that I could ill afford
To refuse this timely invitation, back to watery situations."

"Who knows again when I will roam, the blue green ball that I call home?
And beside I'd like to see your power, now we're in your strangest hour...
She lifts him lightly in her arms, out through the courtyard cold and calm,
To where her chariot silvery shell, waited in her facet's spell,
And two tall children, gaunt and pake, waited there with faces veiled.
"Pray meet my other lunar guests..." He bows and does as she suggests,
"The children I snatched from a hill, brown haired Jack, and redhead Jill...
Many long lost turns ago, I plucked them from their homes below,
To keep me company high up here, ne'er to hear their mother's tears."

Jack bowed low, with gaurde eyes, and said" Dear Turtle, if you're wise,
As homes of shell would so suggest, answer me this one request,
When you, if you, venture home, to the hills and dales we roamed,
Seek out our Mother, and give her rest, tell her we are lunar guests,
And not just lost in un-marked graves, or sunk beneath your homely waves,
Tell her to look up, once a whirl, and greet her homesick boy and girl,
For we've not forgotten yet her smell, in this dream-like moon-lit spell,
I do not know what time has passed, each day is so much like the last,
Please let her know we do still care, and hope one day to see her there."

Then Jill stepped down and took his hand, he said "You're wish is my command..."
For floating in her hazel eyes, we're autumn's sunset fireflies...
And sparks and embers in her hair, she lifted him into the air,
gazing at him level eyed, and wordlessly, one tear cried,
Kissed him softly n his beak, and he knew the wish she would not speak...
Nodded numbly and jumped aboard, ready for his roam abroad,
The Queen looked gravely at each child, paused for thought, then sadly smiled,
And whispered "Then perhaps it's time, to take you back as full I shine..."
So all four figures flocked aboard, she tugged the reins and up they soared.

We slipped across the noiseless void, her midnight steeds both full employed,
Back to the ionosphere, seas and mountains drawing near,
Across the world turned from the sun, where hopes and reams melt into one,
And watch her gaze stir hearts and hopes, down snowy wastes and mountain slopes,
In shocks of silence, and snoring dreams,. they felt a trace of grander schemes,
That little minds just could not grasp, except in fleeting moments passed,
Froze in the firework's afterglow, illuminated brief below...
To fade into the faintest flower, like mother Lunar's fading hour...
Which so long waxed, now due to wane, as every tale will turn the same.

So night shrugged off her mourning veil, and in the growing grainy pale,
She turned her pearl eyes, wet with tears, amd said "Now homewards then, my dears...
I know the time has fully come, for all of you to meet the sun.
And you too Turtle, you must stay, I'll heed no pleading either way...
Pray guide my children to their home, on a fine old flippant roam...
But when I next reach full of face, shout 'Hello!' to Outer Space,
And lonely I will sing replies, from my palace in the sky...
She kissed them all, and flicked the reins, and upwards span her way again,
Off on her orbit with a smile, they all lived happily, for a while....