BEASTLY TALES

THE RECLINING NUDE

Jimmy was a university student studying Art.
It was his first lesson, off to a shaky start.
Today they were going to consider the female nude,
It was, art, after all, so not considered rude!
The model came in, draped in a robe,
Looking vaguely familiar, but Jimmy didn’t probe.
He prepared his canvas and palette too,
Now he was ready for the assignment he’d do.
The model turned around, dropping her gown.
“Man alive,” said Jimmy, falling right down.
In shock he was, alarm rate high!
He really thought that he might die!
“My Mum,” he said, half to himself.
“My own Mother, not looking herself.”
He ducked down, behind his board for painting,
He felt very close to screaming or fainting.
Jimmy wasn’t, in any way, a prude,
But, his own mother, a reclining nude!
He wished she would replace her cloak,
This was not by no stretch of imagination, a joke!
His naked mother, who hadn’t spotted her son,
Was smiling and waving to everyone.
Jimmy felt mortification quite huge,
Embarrassed for his mummy, face coloured with rouge.
Instead of being stony-faced, as most models are,
She was smiling and waving, as though Royalty in a car!
“How could she do this to me?”
Questioned Jimmy, with some uncertainty.
“Her own flesh and blood, ever so cute!”
“And there’s Thompson, sniggering, that insensitive brute!”
At long last, the lengthy session was over,
Jimmy, and his blank canvas, left, determined never again to go there!