Having a Ball

The invitation arrived in the afternoon post

Miss Vanessa, it said, will be the host

Gather your friends and your smartest chapeau

with treats in hand through the Looking Glass, go.

So I spoke to my pals and the elephant next door,

she was having company at a quarter to four

But they were willing join us and get out of the house

so I rang up my friend, the hazel dormouse

Now Mousey has been to a Mad Hatter's ball

Hatter and Hare had been the ones to call

By the end he found himself dunked in the tea

Good soggy fun he squeaked at me

He offered to drive, then quickly declined

legs too short for the brakes often get fined

but said he'd pay part of the gas at the station;

even thought the car runs on imagination

So we agreed I'd pull up to his home and just beep

with four elephants, and one cow, chicken, pig and a sheep

We'd dress in our favorite festive party clothes

all hoping the pig would avoid fishnet hose

My dear Beatrice, the elephant who dwells next door,

was hosting the Shapiros, so in total that made four.

Sister Bettina and husband Isadore, too,

and their charming young son, Little Babu.

The sheep named Baab and the chicken named Claire

decided there was no expense that they'd spare

Delilah the cow was a bit more restrained

but Steve the pig couldn't be contained

So we climbed in my car and set out for the pass

to make the second right into the Looking Glass

We sang a Boynton ditty and songs to make the time fly

Moo, baa, la, la, la and Miss American Pie

Before we knew it, we were at the soiree

cars run on imagination always seem to know the way

We were so excited to see the great throng

and Babu jumped high at the clang of a gong

There were hatters and batters and cows leaping the moon

and costumes to make the curators at the Metropolitan swoon

Confections and libations and goodies galore

and a man so rotund he couldn't fit through the door

Bettina and Isadore joined the Electric Slide

and when Dormouse spotted Hatter, he looked for somewhere to hide

Babu went splashing with kiddies in the pool

and Steve on stilletos just tried to look cool.

Beatrice enthralled with a tale of the Savannah

and danced with an otter wearing a bandanna

Claire led us all in the chicken dance 

and Delilah flirted with a handsome young Brahma from France

As for me, I chatted and ate and shared homemade iced tea

indulging in laughter and dances 'til a quarter to three

Then called for the troops and found Dormouse asleep

at last for home it was time for us to creep

But the night is so magical we don't want it to end

we want to visit longer with all of our friends!

So the Shapiros decided to walk the way home

When you're an elephant you're not afraid to roam

So we waved our good-byes and climbed into the car

and found our way home by following a star

We had a great time and hope you did, too,

and if anyone finds it, Steve lost a shoe.