That morning was not unlike any other,
My faithful donkey was never a bother,
Slow to pick up and slow on the move
But we all know that’s donkey’s groove.
I knew it would take some time to reach
But a stubborn old ass was hard to teach,
Taking his time he would eventually arrive
So relax even if you couldn’t enjoy the ride.
I sat astride Benji just plodding along,
Each step methodically slow but strong;
He was faithful, I could say no less,
No horse could outlast him at his best.
A donkey is an ass that has no sense
Someone said obviously meaning offense,
But no donkey bothered, none that I know,
They all appeared to be always on ‘go slow’.
Two speeds he had, two only he knew,
One was ‘go slow’ the other was no can do,
For if Benji stopped as sometimes the case
Someone said that was the donkey’s way,
George Orwell agreed each and every day;
In Animal Farm nothing changed for Benji,
Certainly the oldest on the farm, all agreed.
“For none of you have seen a dead donkey,”
He told them in the midst of their spree;
“Long after you’re gone I will still be here,
That is the way of the donkey, have no fear.”
G K Chesterton too did certainly agree
In his biography of the peculiar donkey;
Men of olden times did starve and deride
But the King of all kings on him did ride.
Not only just once but Jesus did so twice.
First in the womb and later as the Christ;
“Fools,” said the donkey as on palms he rode
Into Jerusalem carrying a most precious load.
None had ever ridden this donkey before
But the King of glory, Saviour and Lord;
‘Twas the donkey’s one moment in time
Thought I should share a little donkey history
To put in perspective the pending mystery
Of my donkey and his strange behavior
Attempting to hinder me in my endeavour.
All was going slowly until all of a sudden,
Benji engaged his second speed option;
Stopped he did and I really mean stopped,
Behaving as though the path were blocked.
Of all the places to pull one of his tricks,
A narrow path as though he could see bricks;
Couldn’t budge to the right or to the left.
Ignored my urging as though he were deaf.
“Not today!” in great anger I screamed,
‘Twas not a good time for Benji to be mean;
I had business that I meant to complete
But Benji just stood there on leaden feet.
I was determined Benji won’t win this round
When suddenly he just dropped to the ground;
I drew my staff and smote him on the rump,
A solid blow that should have made him jump.
Thrice I struck him more solidly each time
But Benji became more and more disinclined;
I really felt it was just donkey obstinacy
But then I encountered the following mystery.
Benji opened his mouth and talked to me,
I could not believe my ears, a talking donkey!
Not only did he talk but he also took count;
Three times he said was the smitten amount.
“What have I done unto you,” he said to me,
“That you have given me these lashes three?”
I could not believe the words I heard from Benji;
Me, the master, being mocked by a stupid donkey.
I thought to myself, “If only had I a sword,
He would be history and not another word.”
But Benji hadn’t finished having his say,
He meant to show me the error of my way.
On he went reminding me whose ass he was,
And of his faithfulness was his incessant buzz,
And that he had never ever behaved like that;
I was forced to admit that he was stating a fact.
Benji, my donkey, had never monkeyed around,
Though a jackass, his character was sound;
It was then that I found he had more sense than I
For, had he not stopped I surely would have died.
There was an angel blocking the path,
Had it not been so serious I would have laughed;
I had been warned but on wrong was bent,
Perhaps even now your path may be blocked
And you believe this is one of life’s hard knocks;
You may be going the wrong way, look again!
This maybe your final chance to avoid great pain.
Or your donkey may just be monkeying around,
With examination you may find as I have found,
A blocked path is sometimes God’s intervention
Of stopping us in our tracks to get our attention.
Stewart Russell © 2015
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