Rod was sitting in a tree

At the age of thirty three.

He was looking at the moon like a mad old goon.

An idea was about to spring free.

He went to his wife, Mairead,

Where in the bed she laid.

He showed her his plan like a confident man,

Demonstrating that he wasn't afraid.

His plan was very simple.

It would give your face a dimple.

He'd go to the moon so very soon

Through a method that wasn't too sinful.

A rocket was owned by Alec,

Who was Rod's local mechanic.

It was kept near the bay all hidden away,

But to ask would be no panic.

Rod walked up to Alec

While he was fixing a car from the Atlantic.

He asked to borrow the rocket tomorrow,

To which Alec asked "Is this a trick?

Rod fell to his knees,

Pleading to Alec, "Oh please!"

Though Alec refused while drinking his booze,

To lending a hand he agrees.

He said he'd give Rod a hand,

So here is what he planned:

"I'll design and build it fine, 

and you will find some land."

Rod searched far and wide,

But no matter how hard he tried,

He couldn't find land for the rocket to plant

But he never gave up his pride.

He finally found a place. 

He called it his secret base.

No one will find the rocket behind 

The courthouse deep in the states.

He met back up with Alec,

After running through the traffic.

He told him of the land where the rocket should stand,

And then Alec replied "Terrific!"

Alec had drawn a design,

Of the rocket ever so fine.

Ten feet tall, a real good call

And a circular body like a dime.

"Now to get it built!"

Said Alec with no guilt.

Down to the land where Rod chose to plant

The rocket powered by wilt.

Alec ordered Rod 

To grow the little squad.

They needed more hands to finish the plans

And fly the rocket abroad.

Rod called his three friends:

Noel, Neil and Ned

To meet him down where he wants to prepare

To tell them the plan from his head.

They met him like he planned.

They followed him to the land.

Alec with his head, looked from Noel to Ned

And he knew that they would do grand.

The legs of the rocket were together.

They were held in place with leather.

Alec just needed, oh yes he did,

A spherical object to gather.

Rod said "Say no more",

And he sprinted to the hardware store.

He grabbed a crystal ball too heavy to fall

And brought it back just like he swore.

Alec used the ball

To finish the rocket so tall.

The ball was the body which was fine by Roddy

And Noel and Neil and Ned.

It took seven hours or more

To put on the ball and the door.

The ladder was set and with the door it met,

And the gears were really a chore.

The rocket was quite a sight.

Everything was right.

The crew hopped on to the rocket before dawn,

Because it was ready for flight.

Alec grabbed hold of the wheel.

It was made of stainless steel.

Rod pulled the lever which was ever so clever

To make the engine squeal.

Noel and Neil and Ned

Grabbed hold of a thick piece of thread.

They used it as a seatbelt but they really felt

Like they should have used real ones instead.

The rocket started to rise,

Which was really quite a surprise.

"Hip hooray! Up and away!

Today the rocket flies."

Hitting the edge of the earth,

Of Captain Rod came the birth.

The Rocket was nearer the more Alec steered her

To the moon to see what it's worth.

Alec again and again

Yelled "Prepare for landing, men!"

He flew over the moon while whistling a tune

And Rod pulled the lever then.

End of Chapter 1.

The Rocket landed firmly on the moon

After flying like an untied balloon.

There was only one thing. They forgot to bring 

Their spacesuits that they bought at twelve noon.

They just decided to look

Across the moon like a book.

It was a wonderful view to Rod and the crew

But then a close look they took.

Off in the distance was a figure

It wasn't a human. Rod was sure.

Because walked to us, building a fuss

While Noel was blocking the door.

As it wandered nearer,

It formed the illusion of a mirror.

It was multiplying, clarifying

That this wasn't good for a fearer.

Noel, Neil and Ned:

"Fly away!" They said.

Alec said he couldn't, because the rocket wouldn't 

Ascend itself overhead.

Noel screamed "We are done for!"

Rod replied "Open the door".

Neil and Ned, they both said:

"Noel don't do it! You're.."

Rod asks him again.

He told the boys to be men.

Noel closed his eyes, and what a surprise!

He opened the door just then!

Rod held his last bit of breath,

To avoid his early death.

The figures came in to the rocket with a grin

To which Rod said "Feel my wrath!"

Rod gave a kick and a punch

To four of the figures in the bunch,

A pick up, a drop and a karate chop

And at the big one, Rod did a lunge.

The rest of them ran away

Which reminded Rod to say:

"Don't come back until you learn how to whack!"

Rod had saved the day.

Alec shut the door,

Because the didn't want anymore.

They all came together in the smallest rocket ever.

And Rod said "Home for sure."

Alec held onto the wheel

How great it really did feel.

Rod pulled the lever for the second time ever,

And up they flew for real.

While they continued to ascend,

Rod turned to his friend.

To Alec he said a thank you, for the great ol' trip with the crew,

To which Alec replied "This ain't the end".

A couple months have passed.

They flew by very fast.

Rod was in his room by the bin,

Thinking of those figures he harassed.

His wife called him down for tea.

She was cooking fish straight from the sea.

Rod walked down in his dressing gown,

Still thinking "What could those figures be?"

Rod ate up his supper,

Then put away the butter.

His wife, Mairead said, cleaning a knife blade:

"I got a call from Alec Sutter."

Rod was in a room alone,

Calling Alec on his phone.

Alec said "Hello? Is this Uncle Joe?"

Rod replied "It's Rod, the one you've flown."

Alec had a situation,

Which required another mission.

"Stay where you are! I'll get my car!"

Said Rod with no addition.

Rod drove as fast as he could.

Faster than he ever would.

He went into Alec's which looked like a palace

And Alec was chopping wood.

"What is going on?"

Asked Rod with a little yawn.

"I'm building a home for my guest, Jerome".

Said Alec with a wooden hexagon.

Rod asked "Who's Jerome?

Alec said "You haven't known?

He stayed in the rocket. We forgot to lock it.

He followed us all the way home.

Rod said "What's your point? 

You want for his shelter a joint?"

Alec said while shaking his head:

"Get him home to his family we annoyed."

Rod stopped and thought

About all of the figures he fought.

"Fine", he said. "I'll call Ned

And the others for we need them a lot.

The three of them arrived immediately.

Their speed was used conveniently.

Rod with a cough said "Get ready to blast off!

Just like we did previously."

The five hopped into the rocket

With plastic bags in their pocket,

Which is what they'll wear to grant them air

And they sat the figure in a little socket.

End of Chapter 2.

 The moon is a very big place.

It is seeable when not in outer space.

The figure's people behind more than one steep hill,

Which makes them much harder to trace.

While Alec was counting down,

Getting ready to lift off the ground,

Rod held the lever thinking "How will we ever

Get the figure back to his hometown?

Blasting off into the sky,

Just like they did back in July,

Rod asked Alec "Oh where the heck

Will we find his people by?

Alec said "I don't know,

But it's definitely a good thing though.

If we land the figure no where near 

The others we will cause no row."

Landing on the moon,

Oh so very soon,

Out of the rocket came the figure in the socket

Down the ladder humming faintly but in tune.

Rod put his bag on his head

To be prepared to leave the rocket. He said:

"I'll put him where his life will spare,

And then we'll go home to bed."

Picking up two rocks, 

Putting them in his socks,

He found them by a levee. They'll make him heavy

So he'll stay on the ground when he drops.

Rod caught up with the figure,

Which was taller, making it quicker.

Rod hopped on its back for the rest of the track,

Which was fine because it's much much bigger.

Rod heard noises from a cave,

But he knew he had to be brave,

So he walked the figure to the cave, getting quicker,

Encouraging the figure to behave.

Out came the figure's family,

Moving ever so gangly.

It gave Rod a shiver from his spine to his liver

And it made him feel really clammy.

They babbled "What is your name?"

"Rod Rogers", said Rod with no shame.

"You harassed our mother and kidnapped our brother",

Babbled the figures. "Now we'll do the same."

They lifted Rod up by his feet,

The job had yet to complete.

They sat Rod in a spacious bin,

And that was Rod's defeat.

The crew had seen what happened.

Neither one of them slackened.

Out of the rocket with their weights in their pocket,

And their plastic bags over their head.

They ran towards the bin

Where the figure's had locked Rod in.

A figure babbled "No. Now back to earth you go."

Then Alec kicked him in the chin.

The figure babbled "Get that man!"

Which made the entire clan

Go running for Alec, while acting erratic,

Alec, for the rocket, he ran.

Running wasn't enough,

But this wasn't the time to act tough.

A figure had caught him and then he brought him

To where he threw Rod, more rough.

There was nothing they could do.

They were locked in the bin, so blue.

Unless the figures forgave them, there was nothing that could save them..

Except for the rest of the crew!

Noel Neil and Ned,

With their rifles from under their bed,

Had threatened the figures, or they'll pull the triggers

But the figures all shook their head. 

The figure, Jerome babbled "Wait.

Those guys are actually great.

They brought me to earth, and then my place of birth

When they realised their mistake."

Noel said "It is true".

Neil said "We had no clue."

Ned said "Jerome was in Alec's home,

And then Rod brought him back once he knew."

The figures looked at each other,

And Noel said "Just like your brother,

We defend our friends", side hugging Ned.

"That's why Rod attacked your mother."

The figures started clapping,

Regretting their decision of trapping

Alec and Rod, for it was ever so odd,

So they let them out without nagging.

The mother figure said

With a plaster on her head

You may be insane and a bit of pain,

But to us you're still a friend.

Climbing back up the ladder

With a little bit of chatter,

The crew waved goodbye to the figures from up high

With a bit of friendly laughter. 

Rod couldn't comprehend

What had happened as they started to ascend.

Alec said to Rod with a grin and a nod:

"I told you it wasn't the end."

Down to the bar for a pint,

Seven o'clock at night,

With the crew and their friends and their wives who all attend.

To hear Rod's story with delight.

The End