Twilight's Poetry Recital
"I am not a pony, that much is true
Nor am I a donkey, though of my kind there's few
My stripes set me apart from others I know
So I searched for a new home, my baggage in tow
Not too far from Ponyville in a hollowed tree
I settled down and took root within Everfree
Nearby I had found there was none of my kind
But that was just as expected, so I didn't mind
The plants in the forest were perfect for brews
I was glad for so many to pick and to choose
And though at first ponies were frightened of me
I had hope they'd come 'round... eventually
Six ponies and a dragon - the first friends I made
Knowing them made me happier than ever I'd stayed
Though I once was an outcast, completely apart
Now it was but in distance, but not in the heart
So just what is the point of this tale I tell?
Before you do judge, first take time to know well
For though at first some may look strange to you
They may be more like yourself than ever you knew."
Zecora set the paper she'd been reading from down and those seated broke out in applause.
"Th-that was so beautiful," Fluttershy remarked tearily.
"First rate!" cried Applejack, clapping harder than anyone.
"Awesome poem!" Rainbow added with a toothy grin.
"Super-duper-extra-awesome!" Pinkie Pie put in enthusiastically.
"What she said," Maud Pie said, her voice monotone.
"Simply divine!" Rarity praised with a toss of her lavender mane.
"Even I was in it!" Spike chimed, smiling happily.
"That was wonderful, Zecora," Twilight Sparkle said, watching as the zebra returned to her seat.
It was the third meeting of the poetry group. Some months back Twilight had come up with the idea of holding these events, her friends agreeing to periodically get together to socialize and recite original poems to one another. Today, the group was gathered in the Golden Oaks Library. Maud Pie wasn't a regular member, but they let her join in whenever her visits to Ponyville happened to coincide with their meetings.
This time, the group had decided to recite in reverse alphabetical order - contributing factors to this decision were Applejack not wanting to be first, Twilight wanting things to be logically organized, Pinkie Pie wanting the order to have a dash of the unexpected, and all the other present members simply not caring much about the order at all... That is unless you count Fluttershy also wanting to avoid being first.
Twilight stood up from her seat and took her place standing in front of the rows of chairs. She cleared her throat, holding some papers aloft with her magic. "My poem is entitled: Books." That declaration earned a snicker from more than a few of the members present. Twilight rolled her eyes in response and continued regardless.
"I like to read books, their pages filled with knowledge
Fallacies and inconsistencies, they are useful to abolish
Books can be for learning, or they can be for leisure
But in some ways to me, they are both, not just either!
Books are informative, they teach you things you don't know
They are meant to be read, not just shelved there for show!
For what would they matter if not seen by our eyes?
Where would we find the answers to the 'Who?'s, 'How?'s, and 'Why?'s...?
Books can bring us together, or even tear us apart
Within them is the power to move minds and hearts
Yes, whether read in silence, or aloud to be heard
A book could well change us with its every word!
To open a book is to begin a new journey
But to grasp it in full, you must prove yourself worthy
With twists and with turns, some wholly unexpected
A book shows you life through another's perspective
And when at the last, every page has been read
Everything it conveys having been thought or been said
You close the cover knowing that your wisdom has grown
And in that moment... you know more than you ever have known."
Twilight lowered her papers and smiled at her audience, letting them know she was finished. Everyone clapped.
"Very good, Twilight Sparkle," Zecora complimented. "That was well done and artful."
"Eh," Dash put in. "I'll admit it was pretty good."
"Glad you enjoyed it," Twilight replied before shuffling her papers. "Alright, the next one up is... Spike!"
"Wh-wha?" Spike's eyes widened. "But 'S' doesn't come after 'T'."
"We're doing the alphabet backwards this time, Spike," Twilight reminded him.
"Oh... Sorry, I forgot." The little dragon stood up and walked over while Twilight returned to her seat.
"Go get 'em, Spike!" Applejack encouraged with gusto.
"Ahem. My poem is about somepony we all know and like... Rarity."
"Well, that's a surprise," Pinkie Pie remarked without a hint of sarcasm.
Everyone turned to look to the fashionista as she giggled delightedly in response to Spike's announcement. Rarity hadn't known he'd written this month's poem about her. She listened intently as he began to recite.
"Rarity is a good friend
She is kind and she's generous
She sews and she mends
And her beauty seems effortless
Why, from the top of her horn
To the tips of her hooves
No matter she adorns
One can't help but approve
With a fashion sense startling
She is graceful and poised
She's so lovely and charming
It's hard to leave it unvoiced
Out of all this world's stars
She alone shines the brightest
And of all the gems, by far
Rarity... is the finest."
Spike blushed as he finished and hurried back to his seat, accompanied by applause from his friends for his poem.
"Awwwww!" Rarity emitted adoringly with a tilt of her head. "Thank you, Spikey Wikey. That was very sweet."
"You're... welcome, Rarity." Spike grinned sheepishly.
"Hmm." Twilight considered the list. "The pony who comes next is... Rarity."
The white unicorn in question stood up and trotted over. She held a piece of stationary up for herself to read from with her magic. "My poem, is called..." She paused for effect. "Fabulous!" Rainbow Dash groaned loudly, earning a pointed glare from Rarity. "May I remind you that the audience is meant to remain silent for the duration of the reading?" the fashionista said firmly, doing to her best to conduct herself civilly after the untimely interruption. She cleared her throat quietly before proceeding.
"'Fabulous' is something that many strive to be
But those that succeed are few and far between
It is an ideal that requires the utmost dedication
To press on and persist through every frustration
It is more than excellence in command of form and in dress
From the tone of one's voice, to handling matters with finesse
To be talented, yet modest
A self that is real, yet polished
'Fabulous' as you may well surmise
Is often known only by what's seen by the eye
But as the more discerning of matters do know
It is oh so much deeper that fabulousness goes!
To be considerate of feeling
To be honest yet polite
To be true in your dealings
And do only what's right
Some may say 'Rarity, don't be absurd!'
'You attribute such meaning to this single word?'
To that I say: Yes! Yes, yes I do!
And now that you've heard it, I hope you will too."
The room was silent as Rarity lowered her paper, looking to those before her for their reaction. Her audience of friends applauded, and Spike even did so standing - but given his poem one could easily say that he may have been slightly biased. The white unicorn smiled and made her way to her seat.
"That was... actually kinda awesome," Rainbow admitted. "Sorry for pre-judging it based on the title."
"Not at all, Rainbow Dash," Rarity reassured. "The entire point was to dismiss the more superficial meaning."
"Super official?" Pinkie repeated, obviously not having heard correctly.
"It was lovely, Rarity," Fluttershy told her friend.
"Alright. Thank you, Rarity," said Twilight in a more formal tone. "Rainbow! You're next."
"Finally!" Dash said, getting up from her seat. She flew to the performance spot and turned to face her audience, pulling out a scrap of paper she'd written her poem on. Raising her head high and smiling broadly, she began to read aloud.
"Past the dark, tangled jungles to the lost desert lands
In the scorching hot sun, buried deep in the sand
A treasure lies buried, not one still living has seen
It was hidden long ago, in the times that have been
But among the precious objects held within the chest
Is a scroll full of secrets, the bravest seek on their quest
Not a one hoped to find it, 'til somepony discovered a clue
And now the one that possesses it... is Daring Doo!
But a wicked villain most cunning wants it all for himself
Ahuizotl will stop at nothing to achieve power and wealth
Can Daring Doo outwit him? Will she lose the clue and be trapped?!
Treacherous journeys look grim when all you have's a riddle for a map
Ha! She's not your average adventurer
And soon he'll know too!
He won't be made the new emperor
'Cause she's Daring Doo!"
Rainbow finished in a triumphant pose, and she gave a bow in response to the applause that followed. Then she flew to her seat.
"That was so exciting," Maud remarked in her usual monotone. "Very suspenseful."
"Gr-r-reat, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie praised.
"Was that based on the book that I think it was?" Twilight asked.
"Yep," Rainbow Dash replied in the affirmative. "Daring Doo and the Secret Scroll. I can hardly wait for the next book too! She's. So. Awesome!"
"Who's got the next turn, Twilight?" Applejack asked.
"Me! Me!" Pinkie said, holding a hoof up as she jumped in her seat.
"Yes, Pinkie," Twilight confirmed. "It is your turn."
"Wheeeee!" The pink pony hopped over 'til she was in the performing spot, then she retrieved a frosting-stained paper scrap that she'd hidden in her curly mane. She took a comically deep breath and began to read.
"First you must make sure you have all the ingredients, utensils, and containers required. Start by putting the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl first, so that the—" Pinkie suddenly stopped and looked at the paper funny. "Oh! This is a chocolate cake recipe! One sec!" She put the scrap of paper back into her mane and dug around for the poem. First she pulled out a rolling pin before casting it aside once she saw it wasn't what she was looking for. Then an accordion, a spatula, a cupcake, and three noise makers. Pinkie surveyed the discarded items on the floor. "Oh! Right!" she said suddenly, pulling another scrap of paper out of her tail. After verifying silently that it was indeed the poem she'd been looking for, she grinned and began her second attempt. Her tone of voice was surprisingly quiet and dramatic.
"Sunrise. The radiant awakening of day.
Rays of light reach out to the chilled earth below.
'Hear me,' the sun seems to say.
It breathes life into all that has slept the long night before.
'You have had your rest. Now... arise.'
Flowers spread their petals, stretching after their slumber.
Dew drops slip hurriedly from their leaves.
Warmth envelops the sky, giving all below a gold aura.
The birds sing of their sorrows... but only few comprehend."
Pinkie Pie having finished put her poem away in her mane and looked to the audience expectantly. Everyone had been stunned into silence save for Maud whose expression was stoic as she clapped. Upon hearing Pinkie's sister, the others were snapped out of their daze, closing their agape mouths and beginning to clap as well. Pinkie smiled broadly and gave a few bows, then leaned down and retrieved all the things she had dropped before dragging them with her back to her seat, making inadvertent accordion noises as it dragged across the floor behind her.
Finally, Twilight spoke. "Well... Thank you, Pinkie. That was very... unexpected."
"I was surprised," Maud stated emotionlessly, prompting an enthusiastic hug from her sister, now sitting beside her.
"Who's next, Twilight?" Rainbow asked, trying to move things along.
"Oh! That would be Maud," Twilight announced, looking at her list.
Maud got up and made her way to the proper spot before sitting on her haunches while facing the audience. She blinked. Then she reached into her dress pocket and retrieved a note. She looked at it. Then those seated. "My poem's about rocks," she said simply.
"Wooohooo! Go Maud!" Pinkie Pie cried energetically from her seat.
Maud looked to her poem and began to recite.
"Rocks are amazing
There are many, not few
They are so fascinating
A fact so obviously true
We take them for granite
The slate, the basalt, the quartz...
They are what makes up this planet
And there are many sorts
Sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks
They come in various sizes, from dust to largest of blocks
Long before I was born it was all set in stone
Rocks were my destiny before I had even known.
I enjoyed reading about them
And seeing them too
So naturally the outcome
Was my love for them grew
In my fellow geologists
I have found kindred spirits
Even if most psychologists
Don't get why I see much in it."
Maud Pie lowered her paper. Those present clapped politely, though none so enthusiastically as Pinkie Pie. Maud, having tucked her poem safely away, stood and walked slowly back to her seat.
"You were great, Maud!" Pinkie practically screamed.
"Thanks, Pinkie," Maud responded, her expression blank.
"Um... Twilight?" Spike tapped the purple unicorn on the shoulder and pointed. Following the trajectory of his extended claw, Twilight saw a certain yellow pegasus attempting to sneak out of the room.
"Fluttershy?" Twilight uttered in confusion, tilting her head at the sight.
The timid pegasus yelped. "Uh... I was just going to the little filly's room?"
"Now don't lie," Applejack admonished, leaving her seat to bring her friend back. "You were tryna sneak out so's ya wouldn't have to take yer turn. What's the issue, Fluttershy? You managed the last two times, didn't ya?"
Applejack gently pushed the bashful runaway towards her proper spot, Fluttershy dragging her hooves and forming half sentences the whole while.
"Well, yes but... it's just... It's so... I don't think I..." Abruptly the yellow pegasus found herself no longer moving, set squarely in front of the spectators' chairs.
Applejack turned to her shy friend. "Look, Sugarcube, if ya really don't want to, you don't have to. But we're your friends. T'ain't nothin' to be scared about reading a poem in front of yer friends, is there?"
"Well..." Fluttershy glanced back at the others, then looked again to Applejack. "I guess not," she replied softly.
"Alright then." Applejack trotted back to her seat as Fluttershy unfolded the page she'd brought with her.
"Go Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie encouraged.
"Go Fluttershy!" Several others echoed enthusiastically.
Their reassuring cheers earned them a smile from the timid pony. "I—I call this poem: Bunnies." Fluttershy cleared her throat briefly before continuing.
"With fur soft as satin
And faces so sweet
One can't help but pat them
Affectionately
They've ears that are long
Some have drooped, others perked
They hear all of your songs
As you sing while you work
They listen so intently
And they hop really well
They're as sweet as they're friendly
Their noses flare out when they smell
Their feet are so tiny
But their hearts are not
And if you treat them kindly
Just as well as you ought
Then they''ll be your friend
For just as long as they live
And the love that you spend
They will in turn freely give."
Fluttershy lowered her paper slightly and peeked out at her friends. They all clapped enthusiastically, Rarity and Applejack on their feet. The yellow pegasus smiled brightly and timidly walked back to her seat.
"That was just adorable, darling!" Rarity complimented.
"Thank you, Rarity," Fluttershy said softly.
"Best poem about them varmints I ever did hear!" Applejack said with a toothy grin.
"It made me think of boulder," Maud remarked simply.
"I thought it was sweet, comparing hearts to their feet." Zecora smiled.
"It was pretty awesome... in an adorable sort of way," Rainbow Dash offered reluctantly, not looking anypony in the eye.
"Twilight, can I have a bunny?"
"We'll talk about it later, Spike." Twilight glanced down at her list. "Well, it appears we've only yet to hear from Applejack. Then that will conclude our recital and we can start eating the treats we brought."
"Mmmhmm," Pinkie remarked, her mouth full of cupcake.
"Pinkie!" Twilight scolded.
"Whaaaaat? It fell on the floor earlier! Nopony else was going to eat it."
Applejack stood and walked over to the performance spot. She sat on her haunches and pulled a somewhat crumpled note out from under her hat. "Uhh... this is just a little somethin' I wrote between feedin' the pigs and apple buckin'." She briefly glanced back up at her audience with a small smile before continuing.
"Family, the folks who care about you the most
They're there through the good times and the bad times
Somehow, no matter the distance they stay close
They have a knack for readin' between the lines
And tellin' when somethin' just ain't right
They'll give you a talkin' to if ya really need it
Or listen to ya through yer darkest nights
They're the ones you always wanna to be with
'Cause they know how to make you feel at ease
Sometimes they're related like a sister or cousin
Other times they're good friends that you like to see
Sometimes you can fight or have lil' 'discussions'
And at times they can make you downright mad!
But they're yer family, there ain't no denyin'
And nothin' they could do would go and change that
They're like cool apple cider when the sun is shinin'
Or a warm ol' quilt by the fireplace in winter
There's so much more ya can accomplish with them at yer side
It's such a sorry sight to see 'em estranged and bitter
I can't imagine there bein' a matter of pride
That could ever mean more than makin' up with them
They're the reason I'm happy and I won't deny
That somehow they can always get me smilin' again
It's sad when close ponies have to say 'goodbye'
But when they're family that can't keep you apart
Yer connected to each other
And as long as you love one another
You'll always be together in your hearts."
Applejack lowered the wrinkled page to see a sea of smiling faces before her.
"D'aaawww," Twilight sounded with a tilt of her head.
"Group hug!" Pinkie directed loudly.
Applejack laughed as everyone gathered around her for an embrace. She wiped at her eyes with her foreleg. "Ya'll are a bunch of ol' softies," she remarked, her lips curved into a lop-sided smile.
"Says the pony who's crying!" Rainbow Dash retorted with a chuckle.
"I feel so loved," Maud said, her tone invariable.
"This is a touching embrace, but please do not squish my face," Zecora requested.
"Sorry," Fluttershy replied sheepishly.
Spike's stomach growled. "Can we eat now?"
---*---
The End
*
Author's Note
December 2nd, 2018: Henceforth, please direct your grammar and spelling corrections to PM. Thank you. 
