Shawn L. Bird is a poet, a novelist, and an educator. Here is my artist’s conception of her, but I do not do her justice, and I hope you visit her site to find that that is true.

Recently Shawn posted an “Unfinished Canadian Joke” about a beaver crossing the road, thus:
On the side of the highway:
a body of thick fur and flat leathery tail.
Why did the beaver cross the road?
I guess we’ll never know.
I commented, thus:
Because with Beavers it’s one dam thing after another.
She replied, thus:
You should lodge a complaint.
And from then on it went like this:
Gary: I tried, but my tail fell flat.
Shawn: Keep gnawing at it, and I’m sure it’ll work out.
Gary: Is that incisor information?
Shawn: Dam right! Stick to it!
Gary: Would that I could, but I can’t afford to be chewsy. [sad…