The Invasion Occasion Explanation

Submitted into Contest #43 in response to: Write a story about an average day turned upside down by an unexpected visitor.... view prompt

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REEDSY 29MAY2020

Writing prompt #43

Write a story about an average day turned upside down by an unexpected visitor.


The Invasion Occasion Explanation   by clcronan 2020


It all started mid-day,

this bizarre interplay,

that got underway,


which drove our Ms. Paula

to give a good holler

as she turned a strange color.


She ran wild-eyed

to the taxi outside

and begged for a ride.


Earlier on,

a long way past dawn,

that car was called on


to bring our dear lady,

to Mr McCrady’s

to check on a job - he’d said “Maybe”


As the Acme

Hackney

driven by Jackie,


pulled up to the curbing

he heard something disturbing,

that left him perturbing


a clunk near the trunk

meant he’d flattened a skunk

and the tip he had hoped for just shrunk


And the smell that arose

started burning his nose

as it sunk into his hair and his clothes


Ignoring the foul douse,

He ran fast to the townhouse

and right into the full house


of all who’d collected,

not one was expected,

and our lady seemed quite ill affected


she was stressed

and felt pressed

as she tried to get dressed


At first there was me,

who now acts as emcee,

to all that noone could foresee


and for the melee

we all saw on this day,

and the story I now shall relay.


I am called Mr Pryor

I’m the property proprietor,

and I’ll tell the whole story: Entire! 


I had come to convey

in my own unique way,

there’d be disruption today.


that the water supply

was set to run dry,

and all on the street must comply


but the whole situation,

would be back in operation,

after just a short cessation.


Her reply was a squeak,

followed soon by a shriek,

like a gasp of surprise so to speak


as she saw over my head

a sight that brought dread,

the ex-husband she’s sorry she wed. 


She stood there holding one shoe,

not sure what to do,

as her frustration grew


her hair in a towel,

her lips drawn in a scowl,

her teeth were all clenched in her jowel


she ushered me in

and took a tail-spin,

rehearsing snide greetings for him


I had gone and disrupted,

her task, interrupted,

but, to guarding the door I’d been trusted


So when the bell rang at the door,

it was him she was sure,

and she asked me to explain and assure


That she had no time to dally,

or to sit and be pally,

soon her cab would arrive from the valley


So she shouted to me,

let him in if you please,

and not to bother with coffee or tea.


But sweet how-do-you-do,

it was the men from the crew,

in need of a lav’try to use,


I knew they work on the lines,

I thought their request was just fine,

and did not think that Paula would mind


The men stepped inside

and I tried to oblige,

but forgot ‘bout the lady’s deadlines


She was gracious kind,

though it put her behind,

her good graces are highly refined


The bell rang one more time,

though her bathrobe was tied,

and her hair was half dried, 


she resigned with a sigh,

it would be only that guy,

her patience, she knew he would try


when she opened the door,

she nearly fell on the floor,

the ex was there, plus one more


her daughter stood there,

returning the stare,

but it looked more like a glare.


the father stepped from behind her,

and he nearly clothes-lined her,

on his way to sit down right behind her


the mother just knew

that there was trouble a-brew,

but this wasn’t time to push through


As she stepped off to the side, 

to let her child inside, 

a call was heard from outside 


she turned back toward the door,

where a voice did implore,

“Yoo-hoo, Paula it’s Nancy, next door.”


That woman stuck her foot in,

and did there begin,

to beguile all there within.


In the name of her girl scout,

she started to layout,

how to make orders to fill out


it was then that the men,

that in the bathroom had been,

rejoined the group once again


I laughed right out loud,

to the response of the crowd,

whose gasps were made out loud


their thoughts were askew,

wondering, “What did she do?!”

with the crazy conclusion they drew


they all laughed in turn,

when they started to learn

there was never a need for concern.


The neighbor with sales pitch off color,

went back to her trolling for dollars,

she worked like a pro level trawler


she worked us like we were rookies.

she flirted non-stop, using cookies

and acting the part of a bookie


The guys from the crew,

were responding on cue,

and that neighbor she started to mew.


Paula went in to finish her dressing,

reminding us all, time was pressing

finding the whole thing distressing


Then, the doorbell it blared

and the Pastor stood there, 

a flower arrangement in hand


He’d come to deliver that vase,

and to offer Gods praise,

for the funeral held yesterday.


The dad shook his hand,

and invited him in

and the room, by one more, did expand



Paula heard the commotion,

came out with her robe on,

and greeted the man of devotion.


He is an enthusiastic

ecclesiastic,

whose manner of speech is bombastic,


He enamored the crowd,

with his sermon so loud,

til each head in the room was bowed. 


In the midst of this fervor and din,

someone else rang the bell to come in,

much to our lady’s chagrin


it was a pair who campaign

for ol’ what’s her name

and installing a lawn sign their aim.


The phone rang just then,

at a quarter-to-ten,

stopping Ms. Paula again. 


Could she move the time back?

her eyes shaded black,

as it up-ticked her stress attack.


She nearly fell to the floor

as her cat ran out the door

Catch Her! I heard her implore


Her Daughter was up on her feet

quickly picking up speed,

to answer that sad, urgent plea


when she tripped on the vase,

and fell flat on her face

the boys joined the chase,


as the dad tried to aid,

he ended up splayed,

o’er the tangle he could not evade


the lady with cookies from scouts.

let out a squeal then a shout

as her papers went flying about


So of course then the Pastor,

fell prey to disaster,

as he tried to squeeze past her


when he reached out his hand,

and took a crash land

it a style that was grand


the lawn signs had been in his way,

and had added him into the frey

it was creating a comic ballet


The scout mom was shout mom,

the campaigners complainers,

the paster a disaster,

the dad had gone mad,

the daughter distraughter,

the two men returned then,

but the cat got our attention,

with the stink he was stenchin’

from running into the beast

of late made deceased

by the taxi from Acme,

who smelled bad himself,

and ran right into herself,

and was spun on his heels

to the sound of her squeals,

as she ran past the whole scene,

and abruptly careened

into the smell in the air

that frizzed out her hair,

and seeped into her clothes,

as she pinched at her nose,

and jumped into the car

that escaped her so far,

as the cause and the root

of that stink so acute.

The picture

then hit her

of the appointment

disappointment

due to skunk

lying under the trunk

and the string of delays

that began to amaze,

and the folks in her house

that had caused her to grouse,

as they all had assembled

in a sight the resembled

that ruckussy rumpus

that surly encompassed

that harrowing fracus,

that had started as marraige

and ended in carnage,

but brought her off-spring

that meant everything,

She settled right down,

quashed her appointment in town,

she went back in the house

and showed us all out,

and spent the rest of the day

in a state of dismay.


The moral as i see it,

is life has a wee bit,

of perplexity to it


find humor and challenge

in all situations,

it could just be your salvation


when your patience’s depleted

and if a do-over is needed

when you’re feel defeated,


shut everything down,

just turn back around,

and have a comfy sit down


don’t feel too beset

this is how life gets,

so just hit the reset,


sometimes what is needed

when we are feeling depleted

and we get overheated


is some distance between

ourselves and the scene

to regroup and start over again


so view this invasion occasion

as a community opportunity.

Now we all have a oratory story

to share

of a snare

in plans gone awry

and we’ll never know why,

but now and again,

as things rise and they wane,

it’s just best to start over again. 


May 29, 2020 10:43

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