The Moment Of Doom

Green pee! Yuck! says the tinker, inside the box.

With beef pastrami! says Baby Pierre. Humans like weird stuff.

He too is inside the box.

Outside the box, Ben O'Connor has finished his beef pastrami with grean pea and quinoa salad and started on his ice cream.

The flight attendant returns for his empty containers.

I'll take that too, if you like, says the flight attendant, indicating the box.

No need, says Ben O'Connor. That box contains my lucky pebble.

And a frog, says the flight attendant. 

And a  frog, says Ben O'Connor. I'm delivering it to a friend.

No problem, says the flight attendant.  I'm sure it's passed through all the protocols.

Sure has, says Ben O'Connor.

It asked what Shek O is, says the flight attendant.

Yeah, says Ben O'Connor. I wondered that too. 

Preserved mustard greens, says the flight attendant. From a packet. Very popular.

If I knew that, I might've had it, says Ben O'Connor.

There's always a next time, says the flight attendant. Tell your frog, she adds, as she's walking away.

Ben opens the box on the seat beside him.

We heard that, says the tinker. Preserved mustard greens out of a packet.

Ha! says Baby Pierre. More good luck, brought to you by yours truly.

How come? asks Ben.

You didn't eat it, says Baby Pierre.

But he did eat green pee, says the tinker.

You don't eat green pee, you drink it, says Baby Pierre. And green pee's known to be lucky.

You made that up, says the tinker.

It was a salad, says Ben O'Connor. Green pea, pumpkin and quinoa. 

I didn't make it up, says Baby Pierre.

But he did, kind of.

Let's work on the second line of your poem, says the tinker.

Okay, says Ben. How about: The moment of doom is approaching.

That's perfect, says the tinker.

Little does she know how perfect it will turn out to be.