Dear Captain America

Pardon me, but your sword and shield are trampled in the dirt
they're a little broken,
a little rusty perhaps
but I know you can dust them off
and mend the cracks

I don't mean to intrude, but we're all being squashed by a golden elephant
maybe it's rude
not to all love gold and all
but the shit is toxic
and it only helps itself to the ball

My apologies, I know it's a hero thing, but really, do you have to
exhaust all alternatives
before doing the right thing?
surely the small problem of climate change
is enough embroiling?

So, please, if you wouldn't mind, my dearest, and most influential friend
pretty, pretty please
let the vote ring out fair and free
and mend your broken sword and shield
of justice and of liberty.

No need to hurry you, or anything, but children are dying
the air is poisoned
and the water too
but the problem can be fixed-
the only question is-
will you?


A.J. Ponder

Apologies for the couple of weeks off, had a touch of a seasonal cold, it's coming up to autumn here, but now the cicadas are out, the sun is shining, and it's been a surprisingly nice couple of days after a bit of a cold front and parts of the country under water.
Wishing everyone well, especially the kids who are fighting against climate change, for a better world http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-climate-change-lawsuit-2307504755.html

A.J.

Someone is telling you something, but who can you trust in Wonderland?

I measured out my poison

And baked a loaf of bread

I sat it on the windowsill -

But I didn't eat it.

I spooned brown sugar

And I broke the loaf of bread

Then I took a cup of poison -

But I didn't drink it

I boiled my cup of poison

Eggs made it fine and silky smooth

Added sugar and broken bread -

And then I froze it

So now I have my poison

Set at minus ten degrees

Grab yourself a spoon

Have a helping if you please.

But don't say I never told you

My words are clear as day

- Eat me - Drink me -

In curiously large letters.

A.J. Ponder
Pictures by, Sir John Tenniel,1865 for 1890 Nursery Version.


It's kind of a shame - I really wanted a picture of little red hen in there - but the only ones I could find either weren't red, or looked far too recent to be out of copyright.  Apologies for not posting earlier, was too sick to post last night and all because I couldn't resist a bit of cream.  In my defence I had been able to eat it until recently.  Damn my severe allergies :/  By the way, I'd love to hold you by the hand and weave you through the truly improbable bits of this poem, but that would be too unbelievable is somewhat of an understatement, and so I leave you only with this most curious of warnings and the image of little red hen, baking.

A.J. Ponder's work is available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, and good Wellington bookstores