Skeleton Head

Skeleton Head looked positively dead
just upwards from his neck.

A fleshless dome of milkwhite bone
But body's all in check.

A rare condition of skin attrition,
The kids at school all pointed.

He tried to cry but his sockets dry
left his features unannointed.

Marrow Crown kept his head down
To keep from being noticed.

He slunk so low that his spine settled slow
Into the shape of a tight kyphosis.

His knees did buckle with every chuckle
and escape was apotheosis.

Alone he hid but all that did
was fester scoliosis.

-

One day he moaned and creaked and groaned
Behind the equipment shed.

A sad display yet typical day for
poor old Skeleton Head.

Until he heard a beautiful bird
chirping high up a gum.

A wondrous song but he could not sing along
through the absence of lips and tongue.

He climbed with glee up in the tree
and gazed in eyeless wonder.

He placed a gentle hand a-top
and the other softly under.

Cheep and cheep and meep and meep,
he lowered his bottom jaw.

Without complaint he pushed his mate
inside his barren maw.

-

Teachers told to keep control as the
children gathered south.

"Miss!" One hissed, "He's got a birdy
trapped inside his mouth!"

"Skeleton Head!" Miss Maryanne said,
"Come down, are you insane!?"

But without listening he started whistling
In the major key of A.

The crowd all heard as the little bird
joined in in sweet refrain.

Their mouths hung lower'n midnight fog
in awe of Bony Brain.

At the end he let his friend
his only friend, fly free.

He then obliged Miss Maryanne

And let go of the tree.