‘possum Charlie Poem by Clyde King

My name is Charlie Smith,
But my friends call me ‘Possum Charlie.
I never asked why but I ‘spect
It's cuz of my mouth
Full of pointy chiclet teeth,
Wiry head of hair,
And my overbite.

I'm glad I don't have a tail like
A ‘Possum. "Possum, " they'd say,
"why you so ugly? You oughta
Have a hairless tail like
A ‘Possum to go ‘long with
That ugly face."

As I said, I'm glad I don't
As that could be embarassin' too.

I've got a scar just above
My butt hole. My older brother
Ray says it's cuz I was born
With a tail, and the doctor cut it off
Like they do some dogs.

Havin' a tail might not
Be so bad if you held it up
Like a dog so's nobody
Could step on it,
Or a car or rockin' chair
Could run over it.

Yes siree, it'd be a real
Conversation sparker for me,
And I wouldn't be ugly ‘Possum
Charlie anymore! In fact,
My name might git famous ‘n
People'd pay good money
To see me whip it out
The backside of my pants
Or pull it ‘tween my legs
Like I had...well, you know.

Anyways, I feel like life
Has played a cruel trick
On me but I don't care.
At least people know me
In this ole one-horse town.
I'm ‘Possum Charlie!

Nov.2020