she died?

Last night on a humid, after-dinner walk, Ellerie wouldn’t stop singing ‘twinkle twinkle little star.’ I asked her to sing another. She said she didn’t know any others.

‘How could you forget other songs? I know you know more.’

‘I did forget Uncle Jimmy. Sing me a new one.’

She always has me sing songs to her. I usually make them up. But I was hot and sweaty, and my mind had stopped working. So I sang Mr. Zebra…

hello Mr Zebra
can I have your sweater
cause it’s cold cold cold
in my hole hole hole
Ratatouille Strychnine
sometimes she’s a friend of mine
with a gigantic whirlpool
that will blow your mind

hello Mr Zebra
ran into some confusion with a Mrs Crocodile
furry mussels marching on
she thinks she’s Kaiser Wilhelm
or a civilised syllabub
to blow your mind

figure it out
she’s a goodtime fella
she got a little fund to fight for Moneypenny’s rights
figure it out
she’s a goodtime fella
too bad the burial was premature she said
and smiled

…I forgot the last line and sang ‘she said and then she died.’ It sounded weird in my head, I knew it came out wrong.

‘Why did she die Uncle Jimmy?’

‘Well, she didn’t exactly die. She’s hiding.’

‘Where?’

‘I don’t know, she never told me, she didn’t tell anyone. Maybe under a rock, or in a tree, or under your shoe.’

‘You’re so silly Uncle Jimmy.’