The Desperate Plight of Cornelius White

Has the art of oral conversation perished in the past ?

Cornelius White and Alfonsus Brown
lived in the country not the town
neighbouring farmers who rarely spoke
each hoped he'd get rich, t'other go broke

When autumn time came round again
Cornelius was anxious to harvest his grain
acres and acres of golden ripe fields
ready to give forth, bountiful yields

So when he climbed upon the seat
of his big yellow combine to cut the wheat
he turned the key but the engine was dead
and Cornelius' heart grew heavy like lead

The old farmer cursed his woeful luck
knowing that rain could run amok
damped and spoil his splendid crop
because those mighty blades could not chop

Then a thought entered his brain
though it was tethered with some refrain
I'll ask Alfonsus for a lend of his combine
then set off to his house with a bottle of wine

But on the way Cornelius began to think
would his rival kick up an odious stink
gleefully laugh at his desperate plight
and the more he thought, the more he wanted to fight

So when he arrived at his neighbour's door
Cornelius could stand the strain no more
"I don't want your dam combine," he began to shout
While Alfonsus within, wondered what it was all about?

Then off he stormed back up the road
and the crop was lost which he had sowed
thus the moral is plain for all to see
talk to your neighbour, before committing hari-cari!

Author's Note

'pride cometh before a fall'

Reviews

[Marie]

Indeed pride does go before a fall and you have captured that superbly in the closing lines of this gripping poem, Tom. Cornelius (given to over thinking) thought that Alfonsus thought like he did, but poor Alphonsus had no idea what was the matter with Cornelius, who it seems cut off his nose to spite his face! A great moral in this story, Tom. I so enjoyed reading. Finely inked and well expressed. A captivating write. Thank you for sharing...

[D Connolly]

Haha, I loved it! Such a good rhyme and rhythm and story as well! I enjoy poems like this. Very well done :)

[Tom]

Thank you kindly D Connolly!

[Gee]

Indeed it does....all that read this will no doubt be able to relate to your well chosen words Tom

[Tom]

Thank you Gee, I get a read at you after tea !

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Tom... Love this story ... You never know the
heart of a neighbor ... The moral is clear ... Give your
neighbor the "benefit of doubt" and so much more. Pat

[Tom]

Thank you kindly Patricia

[Beccy]

Just brilliant! Pride indeed cometh before a fall, but we never seem to learn the lesson.

Beccy.

[Tom]

Thank you Beccy

[Neville]

Guilty m'lud I must confess, I now take heed of the above address. Yep, another one nailed. A smashing write Tom and a lesson for us all...........N

[Tom]

Can happen to the best of us Neville, gracias mon ami !

[Neville]

It most certainly can, blagodarya ti mi globa poet priyatel..............N

[Daisie Vergara (Dhaye)]

Love your neighbor. Lol. It is great when neighbors are cooperating with each other.
Excellent rhyme, Tom.

[Tom]

Thank you Dhaye !

[Lydia Shutter]

A wonderful life lesson in this poem, Tom. Reminds me of an old joke Alan King used to tell..."the man with the jack". He works himself up just as Cornelius did and when he gets to the gas station, he shouts, "Keep your damned jack!" Yes, many do not know the art of compromise and they hurt themselves in the long run. Your sense of rhythm and rhyme is wonderful, my friend. I enjoyed this. Lydi**

[Tom]

Thank you Lydia for your wonderfully integral interpretation of my little rhyming story !

[Sami Khalil]

Treasure friendship and reap its benefits. Ego benefits no one for it closes the door on many opportunities and unravels in wicked blindness to the truth. A fitting message for all. An excellent penning. ...:)))))

[Tom]

Yes indeed Sami you've nailed it & thanks for reading and reviewing so astutely

[Sami Khalil]

My pleasure and delight....:))))

[Sheila Kline]

Yes indeed! When one allows pride to rule, the fall is inevitable. And, what a pity it is to think of all that has been lost because of it. In the example you so clearly deliver to us with excellent rhyme and rhythm, we find a lesson that is everything but excellent and proper; the crop is ruined, the friendship never had a chance. I would suppose that the spoiled harvest wasn't even fit for the birds to reap.
Your example is also a "just right" one for the Harvest season that is at hand. Too bad the two couldn't have talked about it over a piece of homemade apple pie, and a warm cup of tea!
.........good to have you back again!!

[Tom]

Thank you kindly Sheila for your always welcome visit and discerning appraisal of my poem!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, give friendship a chance...and too often we assume reactions on the other's part---

we never really know the response until we ask....excellent story to make the point of the poem...

nicely done, Tom.

j.

[Tom]

Thank you kindly Jacob