Jonathan Livingston Pelican

Jonathan was an outcast, dissatisfied with his flock

Wimps who dined on fish guts and dead squid

He loved to fly, to soar, above it all

And watch below as his meek comrades squabbled over scraps

Bouncing on the waves, wasting their existence

He had a love of adventure unlike any of the others

He would swoop and steal a Bloody Mary

Right off the tables on the decks of the cruise ships

Much to the shock and dismay of the passengers and crew

Boldly, bravely, he would repeat this dangerous maneuver

Until finally, too drunk to fly, he would settle back on the waves

And float with his mundane, placid, conformant little flock mates

Then he met two strange pelicans, Moshit and Noshit

They shared with him their secret sacred seaweed

Jonathan soared to heights that he previously could only have imagined

The three flew higher and higher. So high he could no longer see his flock

The flock of course was happy to see this miscreant go

Jonathan reached a higher plane of existence and he was pleased

Then he met the wisest of the pelicans on this plane, Chingadero

Chingadero explained to him that there are ways to fly

Anywhere in the universe, instantly, and offered him a lesson

And so he flew and flew and flew and flew

Everywhere in the universe, instantly

But then Jonathan realized that it was not for him

And he began to miss his old flock mates and Bloody Marys

So he returned to his home to help his wimpy brethren

He described to them his adventures and how, they themselves

Could improve their lives by simply staying true to themselves

Despite being pathetic

So he returned to his flights of bravery and soon all of his flock

Was assisting him in the raids on the ships for Bloody Marys

Before long the entire flock floated on the waves, inebriated

Drunk with the pride of their successful pursuit

And the liquid fruits of their labor

Jonathan was proud, no longer an outcast, accepted, loved

Then came another ship and Jonathan was off

He flew high and grabbed two Bloody Marys at once

But the Captain was ready and he shot Jonathan out of the sky

Stunned, he hit the water looking up at the marksman

“I forgive you,” said Jonathan, “I broke your rules.”

Just then a passing shark swallowed him

The end

Copyright 2009  Patrick A. Granfors