The Ogre in the Elevator

I'm writing songs for the kids' band, "The Hole in the Screen." Here's "The Ogre in the Elevator"
(or Uncle Donny from Lilly’s point of view)


I lay on the floor
Between 7 and 8
My Uncle turns into an ogre

He turns to me, bent
His eyes are all wonky
He oozes and limps and is cracked

I cram in the corner
Watch the numbers go up
Please please can’t we get to the top

I’m only two
He’s at least 30
There’s no cure for ogre
I’ve seen stories
Sometimes he’s kidding
But is he?

The bell dings
The door slides
An old lady with a walker
My uncle is normal, and smiles

Come on, he says, straight teeth
Offers his hand, we’ll be late to see grampa

I look at the lady, the scary old lady
With the wheeled basket aiming toward me and
Thick tennis shoes
She wheezes and drools and has yellow eyes
And a hump on the side of her neck

The doors start to close
I jump up on my toes and grab
Onto the clean hand of my ogre

The door shuts the old lady in
I’m safe, and I’m safe?
I walk down the hall
Hand in his
Can’t look up can’t see if
He’s ogre or uncle