Welcome to Beastly Tales. Each has a message, a moral. All are meant to have an element of humour. Naturally, any names included do not depict real folk but are included as part of the joke.
All rights reserved.
(As with Beastly Banter Beastly Tales is written and illustrated by Richard Hersel.)
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Richard Hersel
BEASTLY TALES
THE PRIVATE EYE
Your idea may well be defective,
About what’s involved in being a detective.
Especially about the “private eye”,
Who still has to wear a suit and tie,
But has to work entirely alone,
His only support, his telephone.
In his shabby office he sits and sits,
Awaiting customers with lawsuits and writs,
Usually with a glass window door,
With just name and title, nothing more.
Smoking a fag in the dismal light,
Ready to pick up on someone’s fight.
Ebenezer Stoneford was such a man,
Eking out a living in economy plan,
Until one wonderful, fabulous day,
A worthwhile case came his way.
Philly McPherson said “I have a complaint”,
“It is what it is, and it ain’t what it ain’t”.
“A thug from the Bronx has made a strong threat”,
“He is as nasty as most thugs can get”,
“I have the resources to handsomely pay you”,
“A hundred dollars a day plus expenses too”,
“All I want is the thug to be told”,
“He’s stupid and ugly and too blooming old!”
“The only other thing I think you should know”,
“Is that with his fists and gun he’s not slow”.
“And did I mention his wicked flick knife”,
“That’s something else that could cause you strife”.
“The thugs name is Cecil Bell”,
“The Police know him awfully well”.
“Now do you have a funeral plan?”
“You might need one with this nasty man”.
She lit a cigarette in a long, long holder.
And Stoneford confessed he didn’t feel any bolder.
But nevertheless he packed his trusty rod,
And on his tired feet he wearily trod,
Down the five flights of stairs to the street,
To go find this thug he’d sooner not meet.
He caught the Tube to the west side of town,
Determined to meet this thuggish clown.
To a pre-advised Speak Easy he did arrive,
Hoping that this meeting he would survive.
He rang the bell and the bouncer said, “What!”
Said he, “I need to see Cecil the clot”.
The bouncer then opened the door,
And into the smokey interior he saw.
Goons with shoulder holster guns,
Were at the bar in twos, threes and ones.
He spoke up loudly, not without fear,
“Is Cecil the thug anywhere near?”
An older person observed him in a sly fashion,
And then addressed him with passion,
“Who wants to know?”
He felt ready to go!
“I represent Philly and she has taken out a writ”,
“To stop you bothering her you stupid twit”.
Cecil seemed inclined to return to his seat,
He looked deflated and really quite beat.
“Philly was my goil I was so sure”,
“And now you say she does me abhor”.
“I wonder now if I do amend my ways”,
“And agree to do most anything she says”
“Whether she’d kindly consider again”,
“That I might be among the eligible men?”
That is the tale of the Private Detective,
Who boldly pursued a case so selective.
Gosh I just love your work - I wish I was as good - I'm still learning :)
Thank you, I think we never stop learning.
Wow,.....He spoke up loudly, not without fear,
“Is Cecil the thug anywhere near?”[email protected] doing what he knows to do very well.
“Who wants to know?”
He felt ready to go!
@beastlybanter you have shared a nice post
This was really humorous, at least from where I stand. I like the prose style you employ. I guess that is because it is the style to which I am most aligned.
Also, using direct speech so extensively is not something I have seen in a long time.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
Professional stuff.
Poetry is awesome.
I read the series following your recommendation. And I agree, just fantastic books. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed them.
Nice post
I can picture the story in my mind as clear as if I was watching a movie, this is how descriptive your storytelling is. So smart to be able to do this with poetry.
This is a nice poem @beastlybanter, it is entertaining and intellectually engaging. I like it a lot!
fantastic work, I can only love it.
I so much love your work,,,