Pumpkin Chuckin’

(Hear, ye! Hear ye! You’re invited to:
The First Annual Chuckin’ of Pumpkins
at Mount Eredren, Shayari
Presented by Mount Eredren’s Ranger Core
Judged [under duress] by its commander, Jerlo
Come one; come all and have a ball!)

~ ~ ~

How’d I get into this situation?
Jerlo wondered as his Rangers built trebuchets
and catapults from odd bits at stations
on the green. ‘Team building’, no way, it’s play-
time for adults dressed up as ‘team-building’
and it cost him a day’s worth of patrols.
A day for the forest to play, boding
ill for people stupid enough to stroll
about an unchecked forest with smart trees.
While he was stuck here judging a stupid
contest about how far a bunch of free-
thinking fools could toss pumpkins, insipid
fruits; this’d end with people at his door
demanding search and rescue and he swore.

~ ~ ~

Sarn fitted the last piece and Ran turned the screw;
Miren tightened it while Nerule painted
squiggles that were likely letters askew.
Their trebuchet finished, they debated
who would load and fire it, until Ran climbed
into the sling demanding to be launched.
Sarn swapped his son for a pumpkin and timed
their test to coincide with no launches.
He pulled the lever down, shot the pumpkin
across the meadow to land at Jerlo’s
feet; Jerlo glared hate at the smashed pumpkin.
Perhaps he had been a bit too thorough.
Jerlo wiped orange gore off his person,
and Sarn felt his days off dwindle to none.

~ ~ ~

Part  of a series of Thanksgiving posts starring Sarn, his brother Miren and his son Ran. You don’t have to read them all but if you would like to, you can see them in order on my Holiday page.

~ ~ ~

Read more about Sarn in the Curse Breaker Saga. Like vignette-style poems? I’ve got lots on my Tales of Shayari page or my Poetic Fantasy page.

~ ~ ~

For the Daily Post’s prompt “Fandom” because Jerlo is not a fan. He makes that very clear.

What are you #thankful for?