Nintendo introduced you, Kirby-san,
way back in 1992. You puffed,
swallowed your enemies, sprinted, and danced–
iconic, harmony with every move.

Running through plains, the oxen and the elves
grace the greens. Aplenty is the fruit.
Birds flying through the air, willow in bloom,
dropping the apples as branches extend.

As mollusks scatter within castle walls,
ghosts haunt the towers, lasers made of leaves.
Eight doors surrounding chambers, boxes pushed
by minions tossing them across the floor.

Palm trees, they line the island paradise.
Beluga whale, blowhole, geyser erupts.
Cannons hang from zeppelins flipping ‘round,
this aerial maneuver, a feat of champs.

From nebulae, knights throw their boomerangs.
Precipitation strikes this labyrinth.
Cumulonimbus, lightning in the form
of soaring spikes within one glaring eye.

Remember all your arsenal items:
Mint leaves, microphones, bottles, lollipops,
1UP, spicy and energizing food.
Stars warped and sparkled as your dreams progressed

You must remember every boss you fought.
You will fight them again when you proceed.
You shall prepare to fight your final brawl.
You have the wherewithal, a climax reached.

Inhale, exhale, practice before you run.
The bully holds a hammer, muscular,
lunging, leaping, seeing stars with every stomp.
And use his force against him: spit them out.

Run back and forth, fake, cut, pick, dodge, and weave.
You will eventually overpower.
Blow him away, launched from the mountaintop,
all five worlds, united by each quasar.

Bring forth the kingdom, inflate, and glide on,
observing your surroundings as you float.
Touch down within the clouds and greet your crowd:
fanfare of dreams fulfilled, replenished food.

You mastered inhalation, effortless.
Expectoration, flying through these rooms.
You took a bow and held a final sign.
An enemy defeated, he can’t deal.

Pink puffball – eventually, you got some help
to navigate through water, land, and sky:
a hamster, fish, and owl – compatriots.
More worlds left to explore, walls ricocheted.

Kirby – you are courageous at your core.
Another Japanese import revered
like Mario, Sonic, and Pikachu,
your magic – testament, an honor earned.

-Jack M. Freedman (Jacob Moses)

Published in Quail Bell Magazine (2019)