An Alphabet Tale

There exists an alphabet tale,

I’ll be your guide for this evening,

Take you through its a’s, bees, & c’s,

Gather ‘round the fire, listen to this gale,

Prick up ears, open eyes, mind believing,

Humble servant; only ask for attention, no fees.

A nomad man hailed from a faraway land,

Some said west, others whispered distant east,

Asking for a set of keys our town kept,

That could shape language, by turn of the hand,

Customs invited him to join the feast,

To keep our guest full, intentions intercept.

Over smoke, elders with stranger conferred,

Heard his mission out, but elders deferred,

These gatekeepers, didn’t trust his word,

Words that he would have the power to turn,

Calmly the travelling man with hair auburn,

Left, careful none with speech to burn.

Relieved that this danger was now at bay,

Little did they know that he was here to stay,

In the night, this gypsy was to steal,

The tool that would bring sentences to heel,

Stories I may now be able to recount, able to tell,

But sacrifice was needed, wood for fire to fell.

o a i o u

OH! Aye I owe you [new names],

p g j q y

Peter, George, Jordan, Quincy, Yaakov,

Debt and lies made my boys grow tails, alpha to omega,

Indicators of transgressions due, Father’s sins accrued.