Monkey Tree Puzzle

Of Peacock Hill and Beacon Hill Park

Are they merely a stroll and a lark?

The peacocks stalk Beacon but not their own hill.

A famous resident of Beacon Hill Park is Queenie

The powerful towering work horse

Whose dark knowing eyes draw you right in

With desire to be petted and it happens of course.

And there are all kinds of animals so it seems like a zoo to be.

I see something unusual that captivates me.

It has a trunk and sparse branches all barbed with thorns,

The only tree monkeys can’t climb or so I’d been informed.

What’s wrong with monkeys? It’s very puzzling to me.

Why can’t they climb up that stupid tree?

I begin to search the entire park grounds

But there are no test monkeys to be found.

I cross paths with some peacocks who boast of elegance and colour

With plumes that spread out like an oriental fan

Or cards neatly sorted in a player’s hand.

I’m closing in to take a good look

When suddenly my heart leaps for the skies,

Staring back at me are thousands of eyes.

What will happen when a peacock cries?

Will their eyes shed many tears?

Then it begins right on cue,

The high pitched primal screams, a new experience for me

So offensive to my hearing that I’m straining to see

While the multitude of eyes bore into my soul.

I’m off in a streak far away from there.

Senses recovering, I look up and looming above

Is that prickly tree puzzle that monkeys can’t solve.

It’s time to grow up, face tears and climb past fears.

My small soft hands carefully grasp onto the spine of the thorn.

Good purchase ensured, one hand slowly follows the other

While in unison up go my feet.

Thanks to my shoes only thorn and rubber meet.

My slender body leans slightly away from the trunk

But there’s already a scratch on my right knee.

The entire technique is repeated at a snail’s pace by me.

I bet a dumb snail could climb this stupid tree.

My goal is to reach the top where I hope to see

A whole bunch of people marveling at me,

The kid at the top of the tree no monkey can climb. 

No monkey but me!

I’ve now scaled past the second limb

At twice my height above ground, goose bumps abound.

My entire face is one big grin as the real fun begins.

Adrenalin kicks in to pick up the pace.

A sudden thunderous sound makes my heart race!

“Son, what are you doing up there?

Get down from that tree or I’ll spank you, I swear!”

I push myself back free of the tree so gravity takes over 

And I drop down to hit the ground feet first and roll once around.

None the worse for wear, just a scratch or two and mussed up hair.

My Dad says “Son what’s gotten into you?

I told you before these are the trees monkeys can’t climb.”

I said “Heh Dad I wanted to prove that I’m not a monkey by 

climbing this tree.  If I were a monkey I’d live in a zoo where 

they’d feed me bananas and clean up my poo.”

“Don’t be smart!”

“It seems I’m not the little monkey you thought I was!”

I love my Dad and he loves me.

An unsolved puzzle is that monkey tree.

Next time I’ll smuggle some gloves so I can climb faster

To the top of the tree and bask in the sun.

A sight beheld by everyone.  Yes! I’ve won!

Thanks to the inspirational monkeys for all the fun!

My entire existence evolves around you

Who live in a circus inside my Zoo.

© David Girard 27/03/15

* This is based on a recollection of my early childhood in Victoria B.C