Azul City

By Daniel Errico

Azul is a city with silver rooftops,

Silver front doors, silver handles, and mops.

The streets and the streams are all silver as well.

In the square rings the sound of the silver town bell.

There is only one road that will lead to Azul.

To find where it is you must travel by mule.

Then, on your own, you must walk for a day.

The wind blows the trees to help show you the way.

You’ll hop over logs, and swing over a lake.

When you reach a large toad there’s a choice you must make.

“There are two paths behind me,” the toad will declare.

“If you seek Azul city, they’ll both take you there.”

“The first is much faster, you’ll get there quite soon.

The second takes longer, one day and one moon,”

“I warn you,” he’ll say, in a serious voice.

“There’s more you should know before making your choice.”

“The first path is covered with thousands of toads,

It’s the worst of the worst of impassable roads,”

When faced with the choice many brave ones have failed.

“I will walk on the toads!” they have walloped and wailed.

But this they have learned as they walked down the road:

It is not very easy to walk on a toad.

As is it happens, they hate when you walk on their backs.

So they carry you off ‘til you can’t see the tracks.

If instead you decide that you’ll take the long way,

And you don’t mind the walk for one moon and one day,

You will come to a pass that will force you to squint,

From the great Azul City’s bright, silver glint.

The light will then fade and its secret will show.

And you’ll be aware, of what few people know.

In all of the world, down all of the roads,

Azul stands alone, as a city of toads!