Friendship is Poetry

by Loganberry

The Hay Ridge Disaster (The Show Stoppers)

"Good fillies there, hi, and come with me,
I pray ye will like what is in this tree,
And don't believe that it may look so old
That by going in the clubhouse you will catch a cold.

"Your talents ought to be encouraged to be shown,
Because example is something to make your own.
And will surely help you to greater renown
Than zip-lining again and thrice badly falling down.

"Sometimes in your labours, guilty creatures have you been
With your kung-fu, rock ballads, and other such scenes;
By putting on a play wherein mayhem is enacted,
You will surely gain your cutie marks if you are not distracted.

"So leave troubles, you will not feel so much fear,
This is ever the case, so said Star Swirl the Bear'.
Though such is my opinion, I will venture to say,
That Scootaloo, your lyrics will be murder for one to play."

Sweetie discovered her sister's dumb fabric rolled away
That she obtained for the purpose, and with dismay
She noticed Apple Bloom, her brushes muddied too,
Realising that brown was all she would now get, not red, purple or blue.

The three carried on with rehearsals, working out
That they would gain their cutie marks, without any doubt;
Therefore, stage representation had a greater effect
In the minds of the fillies than the flitting of an insect.

We see in Cheerilee's academy of Ponyville, which is sublime,
Sunny Days and Peachy Pie on roller-skates in perfect time;
And, with a modicum of relief, though tame –
"Oh, that Snips and Snails should put a rabbit in there, where are their brains?"

The ponies of the village went to that theatre that night
To see the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but at first got a great fright;
They saw and heard the threesome murder the music on the stage
But when the scenery fell apart, they were stricken with laughter, not rage.

And, the Crusaders, I will say that their dismay
Soon turned to joy as they, without delay
Made a realisation that these talents of the three
Would have a tendency to lead to cutie marks in comedy.

Author's Note:

Inspired by "Lines in Defence of the Stage" by William McGonagall.

(McGonagall is renowned as a terrible poet. This poem is supposed to be bad!)

Comments

[Eliki]

Ahh, the mighty McGonagall, who I seem to remember was portrayed in a film starring Spike Milligan? I can't say that I knew all that much about McGonagall, beyond the fact that he was legendary as being a terrible poet. In that respect, I can see why you would have chosen that particular style for this specific episode! And I do have to wonder if it was necessarily easy to write, when you're deliberately trying to make it a bad poem?

[Loganberry]

5897106 I don't need any help in writing bad poems. The problem isn't so much that, as trying to parody a real bad poem! If you read Lines in Defence of the Stage itself, you should see the strong resemblance. (I skipped a few stanzas to avoid having this one ramble on too long.)

McGonagall's most (in)famous poem is The Tay Bridge Disaster, hence the name of my own poem here!

[Loganberry]

5913507 See the A/N; writing it that way was entirely deliberate!