David Sheskin
Oh Yes, There Were Casualties
Perusing the morning paper I come upon the fact that as
Miss Patty Perkins read a story to her Second Grade Class
From the quaint little book Master Peter Potter had brought to school
A Ferocious Fire Breathing Dragon suddenly leaped out of Page 4
Admittedly Chaos ensued for some time
Before the Blazing Beast was Humanely Subdued
By two fine Officers of the Law
Oh Yes, there were Casualties
Miss Perkins sustained Second Degree Burns
Principal Danny Dotts lost the tip of his Once Fine Nose
And a Nurse Becky Bortwine is still mourning the loss of her Pinky Finger
As for the Children
They all have Nightmares
The Dastardly Dragon has been transported to a place called Animal Land
A Sanctuary of Sorts
Where it shares Food and Air with a menagerie of assorted Irascible Four-Legged Misfits
A Nasty Hippopotamus, a Sadistic Rhinoceros, a Vulgar Skunk, a Choleric Porcupine
To name a few
Rumor has it that in the not too distant future
Miss Perkins will take her little charges to visit
The poor Beast and his New Coterie of Friends
Because she is of the opinion that a Person
Even one who is Little and Brittle
Should make Peace with
Those Afflictions and Challenges
Life sees fit to Impose upon us
Psychiatric Parable
It was once believed
The Only Way
To cure Madness
Was to Harness a Poor Soul
With arms outstretched
In a Standing Position
Firmly Bound
To a Wooden Cross
For a full a day and a half
During which time
At alternate hours
One would be assaulted
With
Boiling Water
And
Assorted Vermin
History has recorded that if by chance
A Body had the Good Fortune
To Survive such an
Exercise
No longer would the Patient
Exhibit
Delirious Outbursts
And once lowered to the ground
Upon awakening from a
Long and Peaceful Sleep
One would be a
Model of Restraint
And from that Point on be
An Ardent Disciple of
Cure by Crucifixion
David Sheskin is a writer and artist whose work has appeared in numerous magazines over the years. Most recently he has appeared in Superstition Review, The Dalhousie Review, Quarterly West and Chicago Quarterly Review. His most recent books are David Sheskin’s Cabinet of Curiosities and Outrageous Wedding Announcements.
