{"id":1991,"date":"2015-06-29T20:27:27","date_gmt":"2015-06-29T20:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=1991"},"modified":"2015-06-29T20:27:27","modified_gmt":"2015-06-29T20:27:27","slug":"the-donkey-and-the-thistle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-donkey-and-the-thistle\/","title":{"rendered":"The Donkey and the Thistle"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_1992\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1992\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Ass-Eating-Thistles.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1992\" src=\"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Ass-Eating-Thistles.jpg\" alt=\"Ass Eating Thistles\" width=\"450\" height=\"299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Ass-Eating-Thistles.jpg 450w, https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Ass-Eating-Thistles-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1992\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ass Eating Thistles: they will eat them, but can be comical to look at as they pluck up the courage&#8230; Aesop had a fable about them too: &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/files\/39187\/39187-h\/39187-h.htm#Page_11\">The Ass and the Thistle<\/a>&#8220;, which is a positive story, but we wont focus on that, rather the Longford story of the cowardly ass going hungry being afraid of the prickles of the thistle to enjoy its taste&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;Shy but willing, like an ass at a thistle&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>\nLongford saying about a person interested but hesitant and afraid to pursue what they desired, be it in love or in life&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The thistle grew as thistles do<br \/>\nAt the meadows border edge<br \/>\nThe donkey grazed as donkeys do<br \/>\nAnd looked out over the hedge<\/p>\n<p>Beneath its nose the thistle grows<br \/>\nGreatly the donkey desired to eat<br \/>\nFor the taste it desired a lust in it inspired<br \/>\nThough afraid of its prickles beneath<\/p>\n<p>Some folk who like flowers call the thistle a weed<br \/>\nMore folk who like plants call it a wild flower<br \/>\nTo a donkey its the loveliest of the plants for to eat<br \/>\nIf only it had the willpower&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>But no, this donkey shied away<br \/>\nLeft the thistle for another to be enjoyed and eaten<br \/>\nBrayed of its hunger to all that would listen<br \/>\nIts own fear proving self defeating!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"450\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/212413185&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Shy but willing, like an ass at a thistle&#8221; Longford saying about a person interested but hesitant and afraid to pursue what they desired, be it in love or in life&#8230; The thistle grew as thistles do At the meadows border edge The donkey grazed as donkeys do And looked &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[64],"tags":[2177,981,2181,2178,2176,2175,65,362,2180,2179],"class_list":["post-1991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-inspirational-poetry","tag-aesop","tag-ambition","tag-ass-eating-a-thistle","tag-donkey","tag-fable","tag-fear","tag-life-2","tag-love","tag-the-donkey-and-the-thistle","tag-thistle","column","twocol"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-w7","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2171,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/vibe-of-the-tribe-castlepalooza-and-scene-of-the-rhyme-2015\/","url_meta":{"origin":1991,"position":0},"title":"Vibe of the Tribe: Castlepalooza and Scene of the Rhyme 2015","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"3rd August 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The Scene of the Rhyme featuring Tullamore Rhymers Club featured both in Joe Lees as its own monthly night, and as the spoken word stage at the 2015 Castle Palooza. MC'd by David Mallaghan on the Friday in Lees, the line up varied from what was advertised due to unexpected\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Some of the crowd at Scene of the Rhyme in Charleville Castle at Castlepalooza 2015","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Some-of-the-crowd-at-Scene-of-the-Rhyme-in-Charleville-Castle-at-Castlepalooza-2015.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Some-of-the-crowd-at-Scene-of-the-Rhyme-in-Charleville-Castle-at-Castlepalooza-2015.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Some-of-the-crowd-at-Scene-of-the-Rhyme-in-Charleville-Castle-at-Castlepalooza-2015.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Some-of-the-crowd-at-Scene-of-the-Rhyme-in-Charleville-Castle-at-Castlepalooza-2015.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3924,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/donkey-innovation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1991,"position":1},"title":"Donkey Innovation","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"31st August 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The donkey of the whip was tired Bringing its cart and load from A to B A way out of its horrific life It sought and could not see. Its master, he would have its will The journey would enjoy The donkey beat, would work and sweat Under the cruelty\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Life&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Life","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2267,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/missing-electric-picnic-and-readings-at-the-pallet-unexpected-appearance-at-amusing-a-little-boy-drowns-in-turkey\/","url_meta":{"origin":1991,"position":2},"title":"Missing Electric Picnic and Readings At The Pallet &#8211; Unexpected Appearance at Amusing &#8211; A Little Boy Drowns in Turkey","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"6th September 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Its been a surreal few weeks, with Scene of the Rhyme on in Tullamore, an unexpected appearance organised at the last minute with host Dave Hynes at A-Musings in Accents Caf\u00e9 in Dublin, and missing both Readings at the Pallet in Banagher and Electric Picnic in Stradbally... not to forget\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Banagher&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dedicated: unlike our Carty, this girl gave up her JOB to go to Electric Picnic!","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.irishexaminer.com\/media\/images\/g\/GirllostjobEP2015_large.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2181,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/dark-brown-turf\/","url_meta":{"origin":1991,"position":3},"title":"Dark Brown Turf","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"11th August 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In solidarity with the turf cutters. The latest of the poems restored to the website, this one was written a few years back. By hand it was cut, the dark brown turf Donkey and ass dew it by cart home Hands hard from work tossed it to the fire Neath\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Environment&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Environment","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dark Brown Turf","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Dark-Brown-Turf-300x73.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Dark-Brown-Turf-300x73.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Dark-Brown-Turf-300x73.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":549,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/old-clonbroney\/","url_meta":{"origin":1991,"position":4},"title":"Old Clonbroney","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th September 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a ghost story told to me by my mother, from her grandparents, either Kiernans Mill or Treacys. The roadway mentioned may have led onto the roads that lead to Old Clonbroney, or it may have led to a back wall, Im unsure. One night dark walking along A\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Family Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Family Stories","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/family-stories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Old Clonbroney - the graveyard in the poem. Image from Google StreetView","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Old-Clonbroney.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Old-Clonbroney.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Old-Clonbroney.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Old-Clonbroney.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Old-Clonbroney.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3114,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-longford-ark\/","url_meta":{"origin":1991,"position":5},"title":"The Longford Ark","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"5th November 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"http:\/\/www.donedeal.ie\/windows-for-sale\/boat\/5856940 This is a real advertisement from Donedeal... inspired the doggerel verse below. Only in Longford!!!It rains so much in Longford, It was as if another Flood was to be... But one brave soul inspired by Noah Stated prepared for the flood he would be... And some looked on in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Funny Poems&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Funny Poems","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/funny-poems\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"If the flood ever comes to Longford... one man has the Ark built... and its for sale on DoneDeal...","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/The-Longford-Ark.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1991"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1993,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991\/revisions\/1993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}