When your body is black and blue
And your mind is a hot snafu,
Remember the tale, mind it well,
Of the clumsy giraffe who in a ditch he fell.
“Aw shucks!” he cried, in a stupor,
“Not again! What am I good for?”
He slumped to his side, ruminating,
A sea of sadness upon him descending.
“Every morning I wake to try and find leaves,
“Only to stumble, fall, and hurt my knees.
“If only I weren’t ever so clumsy,
“so stupid, and so very forgetsy!”
But then, another giraffe he saw aground,
Plucking tall leaves and cavorting around.
“How is she so natural, the way she travels
“Tree to tree, nary a step that unravels?”
She noticed our clumsy giraffe, his face masked.
“Why are you so sad?” she asked.
“I’m just a clumsy, forgetsy giraffe,
“And in a ditch I am, for all to laugh.”
“But I only just climbed out of a ditch.
“There’s hardly a day when I haven’t tripped!”
To this, our clumsy giraffe snorted.
“Then, how are you so sure-footed?”
“My dear, that is only because
“A million falls have taught me to pause,
“And before another leaf I strain to eat,
“To think, learn, and get back on my feet!”
“But how could I, so clumsy and forgetsy,
“Ever have your energy and whimsy?”
She replied, “Don’t take your mere stumble,
“To mean that you can never step without a fumble.”
“There are many a tree, around many a hole.
“And there’s many ways for you to fall and forgo.
“But remember, there’s hardly a fall in nary a ditch,
“that would from you your tenacity will snitch!”
“Nothing is forever, not even your clumsiness.
“And there’s always a chance to correct your shakiness.”
So, our clumsy giraffe picked himself up again,
and with a new resolve, joined his new friend.
When your body is black and blue
and your mind is a hot snafu,
remember the tale, mind it well,
of the clumsy giraffe who got over his spell.