A/N: This is just a little piece of insanity conceived while thinking IC as my mole Pooka. It is his attempt at a keynote poem for his audition to be Jester for the Duchess of the Valley of Trees. *_* Now, as for the varying style in the poem, this was done one purpose. (: What self- respecting Pooka would stick to one style for a whole poem? How banal! And think of "eshu" with the "u" pronounced "oo", and the whole wod said as if it had 2 syllables. *_*

The Eshu's New Shoes

I'll tell you a tale,

And I swear it is true,

About an Eshu that I once knew.

All of life's pleasures he did eschew…

Except for the perfect pair of shoes.

He cared not for a chew,

On meat that goes moo,

Or chicken or even a vegetable or two.

He didn't like stories,

Or frolicking nude…

He eschewed them all for his ideal shoes.

Not any shoe would do,

Not even any two!

The shoe must have qualities, more than a few;

And do things that no other shoe could do.

They must sparkle like petals all covered in dew,

And make him run swiftly, incase he's pursued.

They must make him handsome, an excellent screw,

And in case he is starving, must taste good in stew.

Alomg came a Pooka who'd heard of his Quest

And swore he had shoes that were surely the best.

Said Eshu "Show me, and we'll put them to test,

To see if these shoes can far outshine the rest!"

So the Pooka showed Eshu his sparkling feet,

And used clever hopscotch, to prove he was fleet.

And brought out a girl, who swore none could compete,

And with carrots, and moo-meat, he made a stew sweet.

After seeing shine, swiftness, lovers and stew,

The Eshu was dumbstruck, he knew not what to do!

He didn't think this could prove to be true;

But there they were; his perfect, ideal pair of shoes!

"So did they meet your test now?"

"Oh ay! Oh ay!"

"And who is the best now?"

"I'll buy! I'll buy!"

"To get ye these shoes will not cost thee a penny,

but these magic shoes are not meant just for any!

You've tested the shoes, now I give you tasks many!

And if you return, you'll have shoes a-plenty."

The Eshu was confounded, he knew not what to do.

To quest for his love, his ideal pair of shoes?

It was an idea all novel and new,

To quest for the love of shoes sparkly like dew.

"You guarantee that if I can see

my way through your task, you will give to me

shoes and shoes as far as eyes see?"

"No, but as far as feet see, hee hee!"

"For you'll find that your eyes do not capture these shoes,

not until you have dawned them in fresh morning dew.

Your fingers won't feel them, nor teeth, till in stew;

For such is the blessing of magical shoes!"

So the Eshu went on secret roads, more than one or two,

And lived out stories I don't know to earn his magic shoes.

He walked the whole world over, and then when he was through,

Home he trot for he had bought with sweat his perfect shoes.

Pooka met the Eshu on returning in the morn.

Said Pooka to the Eshu "You look so tired and worn!

Let me wash your weary feet, and see a new you born!

And then you'll see the shoes for which you got so tossed and torn!"

Pooka washed his dirty feet, and hands and face as well,

And took him walking quiet through a damp and dewy dell.

They stood beside a pool, and, what do you think I'll tell?

Reflected on his tired feet the Eshu saw shoes pale.

How they sparkled, and they shimmered and they glimmered like the dew!

And the Eshu shed a tear on seeing all his dreams come true.

"But hey what trick to activate the quickness powers too?

And after walking 'round the world I want to test the screw!"

So Pooka did the hopscotch trick and taught him how to run,

He hopped him to a brothel where he could have all his fun.

And the Eshu never knew what the Pooka had done;

And the gift he'd been given, an obsession there undone.