Poem: "Something to Guide You"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This poem is spillover from the September 6, 2022 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by the "I have no heart and so I must be very careful." square in my 9-1-22 card for the Land of Oz Bingo fest. It has been sponsored by a pool with Dreamwidth user Fuzzyred. This poem belongs to the Officer Pink thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.


"Something to Guide You"

[Saturday, October 31, 2015]

Minda Haslanger and Akil Dammermann
helped each other into their costumes
for a presentation on scary things.

Akil fastened the mane that
Minda was wearing. "Why
did you choose this costume
for today?" he wondered.

"I like the Cowardly Lion ,"
Minda said as she spread
silver makeup on his skin.
"He helps me remember
that most people have
more courage than they
realize. So why did you
choose the Tin Woodman?"

"I understand him," said Akil.
"He knew that he had no heart,
and therefore he took precautions
never to be cruel or unkind to anything."

"That's sweet, and a little sad too,"
said Minda. "I never thought of that."

"You people with hearts," said Akil,
"have something to guide you, and
need never do wrong; but I have
no heart, so I must be very careful."

"You do have something to guide you,"
Minda reminded him. "You have me."

* * *

Notes:

The Tin Woodman knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.
"You people with hearts," he said, "have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful.
-- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Minda Haslanger and Akil Dammermann were introduced in "Targets for Their Own Self-Hatred."