Poem: "Telling Tales"
This poem came out of the October 4, 2011 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from heavenscalyx and xjenavivex. It was sponsored by Shirley & Anthony Barrette.
Telling Tales
Since he had spent forty years in the morgue,
perhaps no one should have been surprised to see him there,
although the pretty girl hired to replace him
screamed and ran from the room when he first appeared.
He kibbitzed on his own autopsy,
making the poor girl so nervous
that she fumbled with the evidence bags.
He nagged the policemen assigned to his case,
pointing out clues and connections,
and once, he wrote,
TURN AROUND STUPID,
YOU MISSED IT!
in ectoplasm
with a helpful arrow
indicating the evidence.
When the prosecutor decided not to prosecute
on account of the strange goings on,
the ghost frowned and touched the coffee machine
which instantly frosted over with a chime of breaking glass.
Then he began to fondle the office plants,
watching them wither under his frigid touch.
The case proceded forthwith.
After the trial, two policemen
hauled the convicted murderer
out of the courtroom and into a cell.
Chuckling, one of them said to the other,
"Anyone who thought
that simply being dead would
make Old Man Ashcroft shut up
sure had another thing coming!"