a queen named Leo-Pard, tried oh so hard~
but she found it had been a very long while- before she could truly smile.
it took time for her to know- she never wanted it to show~
she didn't want to hide- the sad she felt inside.

a labyrinth of trees set at her paws, she saw at a distance friends and applause
but where she sat upon her throne, she felt alone.
cried~ every other day, wishing her sadness would go away.
she knew it was even worse. there was a curse.

for in the heart of the labyrinth there lived:
ghastly ghostly gregariously growing gnashing gnawing gelded groups

grappling ganglions garnered great gains

on, off, & over, overt oily ogres oozed,

optical operettas onto oba.

Queen Leo-Pard wanted to make changes for the better good
she spoke aloud to the neighborhood.
what's the way this curse will lift?
"drift together and together we must drift!
you all must understand
you NEED to come together for the land!"

she stood on Cush rock, holding the stymphalian steel and told the court just what was the deal.
"I know!" she said in jest, "let's have a spelling contest!"

but seriously though, all kidding aside
who would like to swallow their pride
and speak from their heart
healing words paired with skillful art.
who will step forward and take the chance
of speaking your words and throwing the lance?

everyone full well knew, what exactly that sceptor would do.
it wasn't made for fighting, it was made for righting.
it was made to show the way,
through all the ca-ca people say.
it was like Thor's hammer,
but, you had to add the stammer.

Ele-Phant- couldn't hold her rant.
she burst right through the crowd
blazenly saying aloud,
"I have the right to set it forthe, it is written in the Book of Tothe!
let me have it- i'll say it- you'll see,
i'm the one that holds the key!"

Ele charged- wound up trunk.
Leo-Pard looked- admired her spunk.
that got the best of Ele, in her glory she couldn't tell-
she didn't see- she hurt her baby.
she almost did in, her own kin!
not making careful moves with her groovy groove.

the War-Thog volunteered next and the confusion spread,
everyone reached for their head.
the crowd- mesmerized
Ele- just cried.
~but her baby was safe on the hide of the pride!
Leo-Pard- in protective stance,
saw the trajectory of the lance

Leo-Pard was calming the hood down,
when a gust of wind nearly knocked off her crown!
without hesitation- full steam ahead,
the A-pe- didn't wait- jumped on the sceptor instead.
he threw it with all his might
but, he too took flight!

"no! no! this is no good! I thought you understood?
we need you to be stable, if you're able.
you don't have to keep both feet on the ground,
but, geeeeez louise, don't take flight and be unsound!
thank you A-pe, now please sit down."

Leo-Pard sat and tried not to get upset, after all she wanted to smile.
"Is there anyone else willing for trial?"
with that, the common and dutiful Im-Pala leaped from the pile,
with an anti-aggressive, anti-predatory style.

Im-Pala held the sceptor
and gracefully extended his leg so slender.
he released the stymphalian steel from his hoof
and nearly blew off the house's roof!
as he did he decisively said,
"no this, no that, let's do the middle way instead!"

Leo-pard jumped up completley ecstatic
excited to clear cobwebbs from the attic.
she said, "the sceptor claimed Im-pala the winner-
lets give her an honorary dinner!"
most agreed- some were filled with rust.
-a new way, they did not trust.

meanwhile,

around and above, all acted appalled

Leo-Pard settled the crowd- she understood.
"a new, middle way is hard for the hood ~ but we can make this good!
Im-pala's talent is just~supernatural~
and this what we need~ to defeat the shrill
of those that stoop
with ghastly group!

with wonder, want, and wander

all abated.

and then the bell rung -the yin and yang.
and all in the hood sang.
the yappers yelled and yakked
but nothing could give them back,
the power to attack.

Leo-Pard declared success- she could see the forest!
Im-Pala cleared the maze- and lifted the optic haze.
the yakkers left the space- to try to save face.
now, in the hood, it's all good.
they became truly free~ from there on to eternity.