Brother Gorilla (Le Gorille) - Jake Thackray

Through the bars of a large enclosure

The village ladies intently stared,

Where a gorilla with massive composure

Was impassively combing his hair.

They were shamelessly interested,

Eyeing devoutly a certain spot,

But me mother’s a special requester

I refrain from telling you what.

Brother Gorilla!

The door of the circus lock-up,

Where the noble brute had been put,

By an administrational cock-up

Was unwisely left unshut

'I'm going to lose it at last,' he cried,

Swinging lissomely out of his cage,

Referring, of course, to his chastity:

He was just at the difficult age

Brother Gorilla!

Those self-same ladies who previously

Had been licking their lips from afar

Did a bunk, which shows how devious

And whimsical women are.

In the path of the lovesick monkey

There were two who wouldn’t budge:

A little old lady all shrunken,

And a petty sessions judge.

Brother Gorilla!

The old girl said 'It would be surprising

And unlikely in the extreme

If anyone found me appetising,

And beyond my wildest dreams!'

The judge intoned with tranquillity:

'To take me for a female ape

Would be the height of improbability'.

Even judges make mistakes.

Brother Gorilla!

It would be curious and uncanny,

Say, if the choice were up to you

To ravish a judge or a granny

And you didn’t know which to do.

If I were in such a position

And the choice had got to be mine,

I’d beg the old lady’s permission

But go for grandma every time.

Brother Gorilla!

Though the gorilla is very proficient

In the role of a paramour

His mental equipment’s deficient

And his eyesight’s awfully poor.

With a palaeolithic leer

He gave the old lady the miss

And, grabbing the judge by the ear,

Gave him an introductory kiss.

Brother Gorilla!

In time the gorilla’s desires

Were more or less gratified.

The judge, being rather biased,

Couldn’t see the funny side.

He was kicking and screaming and wailing

When his moment of truth had come,

Like those wretches he orders daily

To be taken away and hung.

Brother Gorilla!