The Creatures of The Ranch, Track 2
March 2 – 2022
~ 500
Suddenly powering down
And falling to the ground
Anywhere is comfortable
Unless he’s haunted by that criminal
The evil squirrel, he’s a dangerous fellow
But when sleeping, any rock is like a marshmallow
No regard for hardness of concrete
Never sore, his sleep is always complete
Twitching in his nightmares and naps
That squirrel almost got him with his schemes and traps
Or he almost got the evil rodent that time
He just barely made the long climb up the pine
A clap of the hands is like thunder
Rousing him from his deep slumber
A single motion or gesture
Means away we go on adventure!
Every morning, out prowling the perimeter
With his master’s brother, his co-conspirator
Keeping the outside world, however immense
Stuck on the other side of the fence
Prowling the perimeter, with his master’s brother
Protecting the ranch like a hunter
Keeping tabs on the movements of the monsters
Or maybe the squirrel and his army of mobsters
Sniff that, sniff this
To his nose, this is bliss
So many smells from the night creatures
Was that a deer or a pair of beavers?
A blood feud with cherry trees
Upon the earth, a terrible disease
No rest until he rips them out
On that, he has no doubt
He lives for the thrill of the chase
It’s a good thing he loves the race
And doesn’t live for the reward of the catch
Because against the squirrel, that’s a mismatch
No one calls him quick or explosive
When he’s gaining speed like a locomotive
When it’s hot out, he sounds like a steam train
A puddle on sunny days, soggy in the rain
He didn’t intend any harm to King Louie
Chasing the golden cat up a tree
Sitting at the bottom, this was his plea
I just want you to come play with me
A vicious growl tells all others not to mess with him
Or he’ll put his sharp teeth right through their skin
They don’t know that a single touch to his belly
And he falls down powerless and weak like jelly
A stately lion, guarding the top of the driveway
Next moment he’s the guardian of the back stairway
Proudly strutting with the shiny coat from all the eggs he eats
Staring at the chickens; such strange creatures; do they taste like treats?
He won’t eat premium sirloin without it being sliced and seasoned
Even then if he’s not hungry he might leave it until convenient
Boiled lung and cheese bread, now that’s a meal for a king
Otherwise he’s not interested unless it’s attention you bring
If you fall down he runs over like he’s on the track club
To see if you’re ok, ok enough, to give him a belly rub
Oh, sure, he’s concerned about your well-being
He doesn’t want you grieving or screaming
But what could help you feel better
Than making him feel better?
– The Chameleon
