Last week I saw a mermaid on the land;
she looked at me and flopped a limpid hand.
Her tail was dipped in jars of pickle brine.
she sat beneath a garish neon sign
that read "Come see the freak, half-girl, half-fish!
You can even see her 'closer' if you wish."
Her face was pale, her costume made of tin;
her tail wasn't sewn on, but could have been.

Last week I saw a lion, mighty king
dressed up, and by genetics, forced to sing.
He sang songs by Sinatra and by Cher
accompanied by a small polar bear.
The showgirls danced around him, sexed and fake.
The crowd booed when he made a slight mistake.
I wished he'd kill, but he'd never try it.
The program said he used the Atkins Diet.

Last week I saw an alien (not from Mars)
who'd flown his spaceship here from far-off stars.
He asked me if I "wanted fries with that;"
his feelers made it hard to wear his hat.
A joker begged him not to use his probe;
the alien muttered that it missed Latrobe.
It took my money with its fingers three,
called me "hot stuff," and tried to wink at me.

Last week I saw a manufacturing place
where elves made magic makeup for the face.
They slaved all day and night to make one "belle;"
one's looks would not grow old (that's worse than hell.)
the magic for it came out of their souls.
One elf would die for every twenty bowls
of wrinkle vanishing, moisturizing cream.
But all who used it looked like just like a dream.

Last week I saw a phoenix in the wind.
I marveled 'til I saw that it was pinned
by one foot to a corporation plane.
They'd tied it there to use it for their gain
'Phoenix Advertisements'� read their logo
I think the company was based in Togo.
And as I watched, the phoenix turned to flame.
It really was a crying, dying shame.

Last week I saw when I was fast asleep
that I had many promises to keep
to all the creatures ripped out of the tales,
who'd blown away the smoke or lost their veils.
For when you pull the moon out of the sky
and hold it in your lap, its mystery dies.
The man behind the curtain's not the glory.
There's truth behind the truth. I want the story.

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