Allan and the Alligators

Allan Alfred Allbright was adventurous and bold,
And was unafraid of things that made most people's blood run cold.
While his older sister Annalise was terrified of heights,
Little Allan scaled the monkey bars with gusto and delight.
He could dive off the high tower in the deep end of the pool,
And tour the "haunted" house that stood behind the public school.
He did not fear Eyepatch Eddie from the local liquor store,
He rode roller coasters upside down, and only screamed for more.
But Allan had one tiny fear in his intrepid mind,
Which his folks paid no attention; oblivious and blind
To the agony that Allan suffered each time darkness fell,
And the moon began its reign of terror-thus began the hell
That pervaded Allan's little world, each evening at sundown;
It wasn't ghosts or goblins, or even evil clowns,
But a gang of vicious alligators, lurking in the night,
And the grim sense of foreboding caused no end of crippling fright.

They dwelled beneath the cellar, and they haunted all his dreams
From which Allan would awaken, wracked with frantic, fevered screams,
As the alligators slithered from the darkened closet door,
From the radiator, underneath the bed, and through the floor,
Little Allan felt antagonized, and knew that certain doom
Awaited him come nightfall, in his desolate bedroom
That, ironically, looked cheerful when graced by the sun's rays-
A benign, inviting nursery, but only by the day.
Yet, when the sun bid farewell, and ushered in twilight,
Allan filled with trepidation, and his face turned pale with fright.

But Allan's parents, Abe and Adah, gave him no credence.
Said Father, "We're in Canada! Your claims are just nonsense!
Alligators live in Florida, our climate is too cold,
Now, turn off that silly night light! You're already six years old!
You're not a baby anymore, and power isn't cheap!
So, stop all this pretending, ‘cause I want to go to sleep!"

Said Mother, "Yes, your father's right. He shouldn't be so harsh,
But alligators thrive best in a warm and muddy marsh.
Though our household may be perfect for two parents and a son,
And our lovely daughter Annalise, it wouldn't be much fun
From the viewpoint of an alligator, IF they could survive,
So, I promise, if you go to sleep, you'll wake up still alive.
I know that you're afraid, but please, take comfort in the fact
You've got science on your side, although your father has no tact.

So, Allan figured Annalise's wisdom and insight
Could stave off the alligators, and keep him safe at night.
For, Annalise was nine years old, and practically in college,
And therefore, her aged mind contained a treasure trove of knowledge.
She could make up funny stories, help him set his Batman watch,
She knew just which stain removers could erase a ketchup splotch
From his pristine, off-white carpet, when he snuck a snack upstairs,
She could intervene when children on the playground were unfair.
So, Allan marched with purpose, right on up to her bedroom,
And asked her, "Annalise, how do I stop impending doom
From befalling me each nighttime, when the alligators creep,
I need to know this right away, so I can get some sleep!"

So Annalise responded, to her brother's urgent plea,
"Our parents don't believe the things their eyes can't plainly see.
So, in order to convince our folks that this is no pretence,
We must catch the alligators, document the evidence,
And present them with the footage, on the video recorder.
I know that taping alligators may be a tall order,
But if they should believe us, then that's what we have to do,
So the parents understand for certain that your claims are true."

So Annalise and Allan started working right away,
To build an alligator trap, in a most ingenious way.
On the ceiling they suspended Allan's plastic hockey net,
Festooned around the edges with small bells and castanets.
That were sewn into the poly weave, so Allan would awake,
And be ready with the Silly String, to give the can a shake,
To shoot the sticky strands around the alligators' snouts,
For the alligators wouldn't be as frightening without
Their long and pointy gleaming fangs, their human-crushing jaws,
And the hockey net would hinder their command of tails and claws.
So, they couldn't swing their weight around, they couldn't bite and snap--
The children had designed the perfect alligator trap!

When sunset signaled bedtime, the kids went to their rooms,
And for the first time ever, Allan felt that sense of doom
Be replaced by sheer excitement, at the prospect of the trap,
Which was expertly constructed. This was sure to be a snap!
Allan cued up the camcorder, charged the battery to max,
But within a few short minutes, he felt his eyes relax.
He drifted into slumber, he forgot his genius scheme,
So when he heard the clamour, he awakened with a scream!

There were three large alligators who were flailing, growling, gnashing,
And tangling themselves further in the net, with all their thrashing.
Allan reached to grab the Silly String, to spray them in the snout,
But then he thought, "The alligators really can't get out.
They're tangled in my hockey net, they can't so much as move,
Therefore, they cannot hurt me. What am I trying to prove?
To add insult to injury is most unnecessary,
I bet if I just talked to them, they wouldn't be so scary.
So Allan ditched the Silly String, and found some pinking shears
And snipped and hacked that hockey net, until a hole was cleared.
The alligators freed themselves, with faces of relief,
And then gathered in a huddle, conferring with their chief.
They knew that little Allan was no ordinary child,
Who feared magic alligators, like the ones found in the wild.
Since he'd helped them to escape, then he must surely be their friend,
So an olive branch was something that they knew they should extend.

The alligators turned to Allan, looked him in the eye,
And said "Don't worry, little boy, for there's no need to cry.
We came here not to hurt you, we're just feeling isolated,
For, only YOU can see us. Do you know how long we've waited?
For that special little girl or boy, with open heart and mind
Who can see the things that others miss, because their eyes are blind
To the creatures, worlds, and galaxies that logic has forgot,
For, all boys and girls are born like this, until they're later taught
Not to trust the things that they can see, to claim they don't make sense,
But the detriments of this mindset are ever so immense.
Your parents and your older sister do not understand,
So now they have been exiled from our wondrous, magic land.

They'll never slide down rainbows, or uncover pots of gold,
They'll never travel back in time, to relive days of old.
They'll never dance with fairies on their tiny toadstool stages,
They'll never know of fantasy, beyond the yellowed pages
Of the storybooks they've left behind, and claimed that they've "outgrown,"
Children grow up far too fast these days, that's why we feel alone.
We've been running short of playmates, so we definitely feel
That you'd make a perfect friend, ‘cause you know magic can be real.
It exists as sure as snowflakes, on a crisp November morning,
That bewitch the world with wondrous white, without a word of warning.
So, we'll keep the secret safe from those unwilling to believe,
For, our universe is far beyond what small minds can conceive.

So Allan and his three new friends joined hand in claw in hand,
And were teleported instantly to Alligator Land.
They played and danced and laughed and sang, away from prying eyes,
Each day was an adventure, an amazing new surprise.
As days and months and years went by, young Allan was delighted
To have met his scaly brothers, although he had incited
A bit of a kerfuffle, with the alligator trap,
But the ‘gators were forgiving, and forgot that little scrap.
For, their teeth and scales and claws and tails were frightn'ning to behold,
But that grisly, grim exterior concealed three hearts of gold.