Henrietta the Hyena
On a plush and vibrant grassland in the centre of Sudan
Lived a bunch of boisterous hyenas, in a merry little clan
A frivolous, flighty, flock, oh how they loved to laugh
They’d giggle and chuckle and snigger and titter so hard they’d nearly barf
See laughing was their thing, it was what they loved do
Their eyes would burst, their cheeks would swell, and their faces would turn blue
But there was one who did not laugh, their games she would eschew
She had no time for fun, there were more important things to
She was the leader of the clan, the boss, the schedule setter
She was a stern and thoughtful soul, by the name of Henrietta!
You see the clan it needed order, a clear and concise plan
Rules and laws and structure, to keep things spick and span
This task fell to the leader; it was her job to provide
Clear instructions and a schedule to which all others must abide.
And to her task she rigidly stuck, and all else she would shun
Her time was not for wasting, with laughter or with fun
For her it served no purpose, no point in any case
She had no time for laughter, in her life it had no place.
She’d spend her whole time working, which left her stressed and vexed
How others found such time to laugh left her quite perplexed.
She’d think and often ponder, how could she do things better
And work herself in to a tis, she really was a fretter.
So many things, so little time, worried poor old Henrietta.
Her schedule was strict, her rules were firm but fair
Everyone pulled their weight, and everyone got their share
All her actions served a purpose, her rules achieved an aim
So from pointless games and laughter, she always would refrain.
The things that made her schedule, those that made her list
Were useful and productive, by now you get the gist
They were all written in order, nothing left out, nothing missed
Her schedule she had posted and it looked a bit like this:
The morning was for grooming, to fluff their fur and lick it clean
To put each ruffled hair in place and restore its glossy sheen
Then after they’d plan the hunt, down to the last detail
Apply all their guile and cunning, to produce a plan that could not fail
Their tactics needed to be sound, to make the perfect steal
Or else they would go hungry, they’d go without a meal.
This plan they would then execute, the hunt would next take place
Then came time for eating, to greedily stuff their face
Once their meal was over and all the meat was scoffed
A group must use their ears and eyes to keenly guard and watch
A group of ten would do, each with a patch to keep their eye on
To protect against all predators, especially the lion
The rest would practice fighting, to improve their skills and their technique
So they could ward of all outsiders, that they should happen to meet.
In the afternoon, some would give lessons, to the youngsters of the clan
While others tidied up their den and made it spick and span.
And so that was the agenda, the schedule, the program, the plan
Enforced by Henrietta, as the leader of the clan
She’d oversee each item and ensure that it was done
To the high standard she would expect, from each and everyone
When the day was through, the hyenas would relax
They’d resume play, and laugh and joke, together in their packs
They would chuckle, they would giggle, they would cackle, they would roar
In stitched they would titter, as they rolled around the floor.
Henrietta did not partake, from such foolery she’d refrain
To her it served no purpose, it was pointless and inane
Although she would allow it, she did not have it banned
To her it was a mystery, she didn’t understand.
Instead she’d review the day, and the rota for the clan
Preparing for the next day, she would meticulously plan.
And so this was the pattern, how Henrietta spent her days
The pragmatic little pooch, sensible in all her ways
Worked tirelessly without stopping, she barely took a rest
Committed to her clan, she strove to do her best
And while it was quite noble, quite gallant and quite brave
Under the weight of her huge workload, the conscientious canine would cave
She’d worry, stress and vex, she’d brood, panic and fret
Was everything in order? Had her targets and goals been met?
She’d pace and agonise, as she reviewed her strategy
Had she employed the correct tactics? The correct policy?
Her work was such a tire, exhausting, such a strain
As all those ideas and those worries whirled around in her poor brain.
But one day something happened, something strange and something new
Why and how she did not know, she did not have a clue
A joke she overheard, from a little gang she’d passed
And without thinking for a second, the worried canine couldn’t help but laugh.
And what a laugh it was, what a guffaw, what a roar
Doubled up, in stitches, she was rolling on the floor
When they saw her in hysterics, the clan could not believe
She laughed so long and hard, she almost couldn’t breath
And to her something happened, as the clan watched in disbelief
She felt a sudden change, a sudden easing and relief
Her worries seemed to disappear, to float in to the air
How light she felt, relaxed-tranquil and calm, a dog without a care
Her concerns began to fade, her troubles lessen and recede
From all her anguish and her fretting Henrietta had been freed.
As she gathered herself together and let her laughter fade
she realised what a wonderful discovery she’d made
Now it was so clear, now Henrietta understood
That laughter had a purpose, it was magic, it was good
What a revelation, what an epiphany
How laughter was such medicine, how it could make you feel so free
Immediately, Henrietta gathered all the clan, her discovery she’d announce,
Laughter was a magical thing, she no longer would renounce
She saw it had a purpose, she saw it had a place
It was not pointless or inane, that just was not the case.
No longer would she disregard, ignore, avoid or shun
The laughter, the jokes, the foolery, the play acting and fun
In fact she made a promise, a pledge, an oath a vow
To set aside some time for fun, to laugh and just chill out
And so from that day forth, Henrietta would remember
To always spare some time for fun, when setting her agenda.