The Bottle

 

The place was crowded, noise did resonate

Faces all smiling twixt laughter and chatter
Found an empty table with a dirty plate
and an empty bottle, it did not matter.

The seat I did take, surveying the crowd

Wondering when at last I might be served
The din of laughter was getting quite loud
Wanting to shout “Garḉon”, alas, no nerve.

To mask my impatience, the bottle I sought

Fingered its neck and studied the label
The cap was tight, a hard twist had fought
When suddenly it slammed, hard to the table.

Just as it tumbled, a hard shutter it did make

When out popped a genie, much to my surprise
I rubbed my eyes quite certain it’s fake
Looking about, no one witnessed its rise

“look at me!” it did shout to my startled look

“the others don’t matter for they cannot see
I bring you a message, my form is the hook
This is just ‘twixt us, just you, just me.”

I stammered and struggle, no words do emerge

In raw disbelief that I speak to a cloud
I fidget and squirm, them my voice did emerge
The words came out clear, certain and loud.

“From whence do you come, rising before me

My mind plays tricks. ‘tis hard to believe
Did you come from the kitchen or cast by the sea,
Where now in my wait, sought to retrieve?”

The crowd did subside, all turned ghostly white

Their voices did whisper, their eyes turned to gaze
Faded they did, disappeared from sight
The genie did speak, began with a phrase:

 “Take care of the forest, the streams and the lakes

Take care of the air, the earth and its wind
Take care of the animals, the birds and the snakes
For all are connected, like a quilt to be pinned"

Suddenly his visage rose up and went white

Perhaps just to frighten as it started to fade
When suddenly to vanish, its visage takes flight
Left me alone to ponder, had I been played?

I fingered the bottle, ‘twas empty and light

Left me to wonder, scratching my head.
No evidence of the genie, no longer to fright
I gaze at the label, its message to spread.

I rose from my chair as the bottle did tumble

It clattered and rolled to a window in a rush
I grabbed it, held it and read “Thirsty Planet”
As I gazed out the window, verdant and lush

How could this be, land so rich and so green

As the message receded, “Thirsty Planet” did fade
Suddenly it vanished with a change of the scene
As dry as the desert, nary a spot of shade.

“What’ll you have?”, a distant voice did crack

Its tenor first loud, then faded to whisper
Suddenly the room did recede, vanished to black
My throat went dry as it started to blister.

Startled awake, I jumped from my bed

Uncertain and wary, my mind wants to scream
Peered out of the window, the moon overhead
I realize quite slowly ‘twas all but a dream.

But oh! what a message!  it’s memory so clear
Thirsty Planet it said, with a message to crow:
To care for this planet, now that I did hear.
A genie in a bottle, did tell me it’s so!

By Peter Hilger