1973 Award-Winning Story

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A Great Day

For The

Beach

 

 

Mr. Limp

was a lonely

old man

who believed

nothing was true

until he could

disprove it

*

 

One sunny afternoon,

his neighbor said

It's a great day

for the beach,

wouldn't you

say so,

Limpo?

*

 

That is not true 

and I'll 

prove it

to you

said Mr. Limp,

whose nickname was

"Limpo"

*

 

To demonstrate

the strength

of

his contrariness,

Mr. Limp shook

the mighty apple tree

that grew in his yard

for close to

a century:

 

Lightning bolts

blossomed

from all its branches

and

thunder

thrashed through

the air

*

 

Rain splattered upon

Limpo

and his neighbor

and their 

entire

neighborhood

*

 

The Emergency 

Storm Patrol

arrived

with all its

modern

foul weather

devices:

 

Two men operated 

the 

Satchmo Suction Hose

that sucked

all the rain

out of the sky

 

The Musical 

Lightning Box

was ignited

to convert

thunder + lightning

into

beautiful music

that filled the air

 

The Saffron 

Sunshine Retriever

signaled to the sun

to 

come out of hiding 

*

 

You're right, neighbor

It is a great day

for the beach,

exclaimed 

 Mr. Limp   

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© Oliverio ©

 

_____

___

 

The award was presented

by 

Linda Marie Oliverio:

 

she bought cocktails

for the author

+ 

four of his buddies

(two of whom

were secretly in love

with my sister) 

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