Tony the Pony from Benoni

A poem I wrote back in 2012 about an heroic steed who fought for love and his beliefs against oppressive cultural norms. And, racist zebras and stuff.

I never got around to posting it on my old site, Mojodojo, and I dig it. So here it is. Hope you like it…

Tony The Pony From Benoni

There once was a pony, and his name was Tony.
A happy young steed from the Land of Benoni.
He made a good living selling gadgets for Sony,
And on the weekend, liked to sip a Peroni.

On the surface, Benoni’s a nice, liberal place.
But deep down, the animals were false and two-faced.
While all of the antelope seemed to be mates,
Behind their closed doors simmered judgement and hate.

Now Tony was young. He was idealistic.
But his liberal ideals were still unrealistic.
The old generation, unwilling to budge,
Would sit on high horses and quietly judge.

One Saturday night, Tony went to the sokkie,
And quickly he saw the most gorgeous young bokkie.
He plucked up his courage, and he bought her a beer,
Without fear of the sneers from conservative deer.

He didn’t care. He was stoked, our young Tony.
So he invited her over and made macaroni.
He served her a starter, and then the main course.
For desert, she discovered he’s hung like a horse!

After a couple of dates, they were head-over-hooves!
They went back to the sokkie to bust out some moves,
But the vibe wasn’t cool as together they grooved.
Cold eyes fell upon them. The crowd disapproved.

A camel who’d had one too many libations,
Trotted on up to express his frustration.
He shouted rude words and gave Tony a shove,
But Tony stood firm because he was in love.

His bokkie got up to defend brave, young Tony.
She did frou va camel wiff her brandy and Stoney!
Next thing you know, a huge fight had erupted.
And the pigs were called in to step in and disrupt it.

He was kicked by a zebra, and then stomped by a kudu,
But he stood his ground. Tony did what you should do.
Even a pig took a cheap shot or two,
But Tony kept fighting. He hollered, “Screw you!”

With love as his weapon, he bravely fought back,
He regained his footing and launched his attack!
With both of his hooves, kicked a pig to the ground,
Connecting the blow with a deafening sound!

Shocked and amazed by his manly display,
Everyone stopped in their shock and dismay.
“Stop!” said a zebra, “This is not the right way!
Let’s see if this pony has something to say…”

They all hung their heads, and they looked upon Tony.
He said, “Why the hell can’t we all just be homies?
You should be ashamed, you big bunch of phonies!
You’re all a disgrace to the Land of Benoni!”

“I love this here bokkie with all of my heart.
And nothing on Earth’s gonna keep us apart.
If there’s a prettier girl anywhere, then please show me.
And if you don’t like it, you can all flippin’ blow…
up in a violent explosion.

All of the animals knew they were wrong.
And Johnny Clegg soon wrote a unity song.
Things in Benoni; they quickly came right.
‘Cos love is the only true reason to fight!

Gord Laws, 2012