December 11, 2010. If I were King of the Forest

If I were King of the Forest, Not queen, not duke, not prince.
My regal robes of the forest, would be satin, not cotton, not chintz.

The feeling of mortality carries with it a feeling of trepidation. One of the bonuses of being large, is that trouble generally avoids you.

As a teenager, my friends and I were mugged in Flushing Meadow Park. The muggers avoided me. even as recent as about 6 years ago, I told some kids on Queens Boulevard to shut up, when I heard them making anti-Semitic comments. They looked at me and shut up. I never got into a fight. I never had to.

I'd command each thing, be it fish or fowl.
With a woof and a woof and a royal growl - woof.

Today when I walk, I often shuffle my feet. I'm often stooped over. I'm leery of every shadow. I look at the shoes of kids on the street. Predators always wear sneakers.

As I'd click my heel, all the trees would kneel.
And the mountains bow and the bulls kowtow.
And the sparrow would take wing - If I - If I - were King!

Part of a man's ego is the illusion that he's invulnerable. That illusion is gone. It's time for reality.

Each rabbit would show respect to me.
The chipmunks genuflect to me.
Though my tail would lash, I would show compash
For every underling!
If I - If I - were King!Just King!

So today, I'm not invulnerable. My weapon of choice is pen. You know what they say, "The pen is mightier than the illusion of the sword."