curiosity

maybe lighting the match
was the big mistake
but bob wanted to get
his gerbil back

(they call it "felching")
the gerbil ran up
the paper tube
as he always did

and when donnie yelled
"no mas" bob called to
his gerbil ("gear")
but gear wouldn't come

and so he struck
the match to see if
gerbil gear would
see the light

but donnie and bob had
had cajun food
red beans and rice
for dinner that night

the doc said "a pocket
of intestinal gas"
a long blue flame
shot out of the tube

bob was watching
for gear to come down
his hair caught fire
and so did gear

and also another
much larger pocket
of intestinal gas
further upline

which blased poor gear
down the cardboard tube
like a mortar round
and broke bob's nose

donnie spent the day
in a warm sitz bath
"he doesn't want visitors"
said the smiling nurse