YALE ROAD BOOK CLUB
SUMMER PARTY – 2009

By Shirley Heine 

June 2009

We call ourselves a Book Club, and of course that’s true
But we all love a party and a BBQ too.
Sometimes we see a movie that is a perfect one to share.
Just mention a little field trip and we’ll be right there.

We have different opinions on any given theme
But still we fit together like a well-trained team.
We’ve learned to appreciate the style of every single member.
There’s never been an argument, not that I remember.

So wouldn’t it be fun – and even rather exciting —
To copy the Wednesday Sisters, and try our hand at writing?
Maybe someday we will be famous authors ourselves
And even see our own book adorning Keplers’ shelves.

We could make it a children’s book with furry little creatures
Who talk to themselves and have adorable features.
It must have a plot, of course, and a moral to the story
Because in childrens’ books, the villian is always sorry.

And we must create scenes to build up the tension
And drop little hints, too numerous to mention.
A hero there must be – one that children will adore
Who captures their hearts like never before.

I see the plot as going something a bit like this:
The Elegant little Hedgehog awaits her Mother’s kiss.
Then scurries off to school, a Stone Diary under her arm
Never imagining that she might soon come to harm.

So, unaware of danger, she heads for the one-room school.
She can’t bring her Sawtelle Dog; it is against the rule.
She whistles as she goes – of course you know the reason –
She can’t help it – it’s The Whistling Season.

Now we must remember that the Hedgehog is naturally shy
And so she keeps her head down when others pass her by.
But soon she hears a noise which causes some concern
And for a very good reason, she is soon to learn.

Off to her left and not too far away
(In fact very near, I’d venture to say)
Lurks a sly old fox of considerable girth
Watching a Woman in White digging in The Good Earth.

Now what should she do? Should she warn the poor dear?
How could she say that the fox was so near?
When what to her wondering eyes did appear
But a friend and a neighbor, of whom she held dear.

It was Suzy, her classmate, the frisky little Otter
(to borrow another character from Beatrix Potter).
Now Suzy was not shy – Oh, no! Not her!
She flew at the fox and grabbed hold of his fur.

“Run”, she yelled to the frightened old lady
“Go take A Walk in the Woods, where it is shady”.
Now Suzy was clever as well as brave
But you may well wonder how that could save.

For she told the fox to go walk there too
And the fox thought that this was too good to be true!
Now Suzy was smiling – you can imagine how she’d feel
As she watched the fox and Waited for the Banana Peel.

Sure enough it didn’t take long before our fox was dispatched.
His Wicked plan was thwarted before it was hardly hatched!
And Suzy was the hero, a Daughter of Fortune, you might say.
And the fox learned his lesson, that crime doesn’t pay.

But this is not the end, though you might think it should be;
We must follow our little hedgehog to her den, you see.
Because the hour is growing late– it is almost Twilight.
And she must do her homework before it is night.

At One Minute to Midnight she trundles off to bed
With visions of the day dancing in her head.
Well, you know how dreams are – they often make no sense.
So it shouldn’t be surprising to see her peering ’round a fence.

Just in time to see a Kite Runner going by
Followed by 1000 White Women – (I don’t know why).
Now our little hedgehow knew just what to do:
She called Agent Zigzag using Code 211 Blue.

So how shall we end this story? Well, I think I see.
Our friends will all sit down to Three Cups of Tea.
They will discuss politics and My Life in France,
Being very careful not to spill on their pants.

Now if our book sells – there will be no equal!..
We might even consider writing a sequel..
It could be about finding a Pearl in a Red Tent
Somewhere East of Eden where Queen Noor went.

It could be a mystery with no apparant answer.
The jewel could have been lost by Mao’s Last Dancer.
The village would search and search and finally agree
To call in The #1 Ladies Dectective Agency.

And our new hero would create quite a whirl.
She would resemble The Other Boleyn Girl.
She would be a beauty and have seductive power
She would dress all in black and wear a Snow Flower.

But that’s getting ahead of ourselves, at least for today
Lets just work on the first book, what do you say?
And if our first try flops, we know just how to cope.
We simply try again – that’s The Audacity of Hope.

**************

Now where is that wine?!! I think I’m due!
If you’ve listened this far, you are too!
So here’s to us –to everyone here:
May we grow even closer every year