By Rhys Hughes
1.1. The man on the mountain 1.2. Hopes to kiss the clouds 1.3. High above the milling crowds 1.4. With his leathery bold lips 1.5. But the cumulus formations 1.6. Rebuff his flirtations: he is too old. 2.1. The mermaid on vacation 2.2. Plunges in the fountain 2.3. To cool her coelacanth brow, 2.4. See how she attracts attention 2.5. At the merest mention 2.6. Of her favourite steed: a sea cow. 3.1. The Abominable Snowman 3.2. Will be wearing his kaftan 3.3. After he jumps off the summit 3.4. Of the Kathmandu Emporiums 3.5. Because at the end of the day 3.6. It’s better than playing accordions. 4.1. The dolphin indulges in pranks a lot 4.2. In the hope of amusing his friends, 4.3. Voting it best when he strikes his chest 4.4. And splashes the spectators 4.5. Who are juggling potatoes 4.6. On the slippery deck of a passing yacht. 5.1. Citizens who are very fashionable 5.2. Are highly tractable but valuable 5.3. And form fake sartorial societies 5.4. With memberships of great variety 5.5. Including dressmakers 5.6. And models suffering from anxiety. 6.1. The bouncing ball is a big male 6.2. Of his India-rubber species 6.3. And he often shouts out loud 6.4. About how he’s too proud 6.5. To quit by failing to rebound 6.6. At the base of his plummet. To read the seventh and final stanza, please read one line from each of the above six stanzas in the following order: 1.1, 2.2, 3.3, 4.4, 5.5, 6.6.
Rhys Hughes has lived in many countries. He graduated as an engineer but currently works as a tutor of mathematics. Since his first book was published in 1995 he has had fifty other books published and his work has been translated into ten languages.
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