The Opossum That Came To Visit, Revise from 1999

Prose Poem

By: Peter Menkin

Narrated by: Crystal A. Sershen

Length: 6 mins

Publisher's summary

That's what the cats that lived in the house said about her.They also said that she was one of the homeliest creaturesthey'd ever set sights on and in their conversations aboutTilde, whom they liked to talk about since she was new,they never once questioned where she came from orwhere she might be going.For all intents and purposes Tilde was there and hadset up housekeeping.One thing this meant, since Tildeliked a little snack now and then, was she had nibblesavailable to her when the cats weren't around.At night Tilde left her cool spot under the porch, whereshe had a chair and a table and a small radio which gotmost of the local stations and went out through herfront door at the side opening of the porch and right ontothe roof of her house, (the people in the house calledher roof their back porch), where she found a nice plateof nibbles that the cats had left. But Tilde wasn't alwaysso lucky to find a full plate of nibbles.

©1999 Peter A Menkin (P)2013 Peter A Menkin

This sweet story has an Opossum in it and racoons

What did you love best about The Opossum That Came To Visit, Revise from 1999?

This sweet story was written by me when my mother was alive and is based on a true story of an Opossum who lived under Christa's back porch. I loved best that she had imagination and was determined to live with the so many animals that lived around that big house on all that property that Christa's mother owned on that gated huge lot with the stream. True story, I say. I made it up myself, so I should know.

What other book might you compare The Opossum That Came To Visit, Revise from 1999 to and why?

Good question. I read this story at Church and I am sorry to say, but right now I can't remember. My friends who heard it at Church had all kinds of complimentary other stories to compare it with. That was very complimentary for me. If I say so myself, I read it quite well. They said so, too.

Which character – as performed by Crystal A. Sershen – was your favorite?

She has such good timing. Crystal reads children's stories and I was lucky to have her. I was lucky she would read the story. It is a short one. Just like a toy, I sometimes think.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I just love this little story. It has so many moments like dancing in the moonlight. The time when the racoons get together to plot, or when it is revealed that the Opossum has a radio in her apartment that is below the deck where she lives behind Christa's house. As I say, true story. Christa lived alone and loved animals, by the way. That is not in the story.

Any additional comments?

Originally, I printed this story on a little flyer. It went nowhere but to friends. Then it was a quiet little story. Finally, I decided it was worth showing. And now it is an audio book read by the talented Crystal A. Sershen. That Opossum has come a long way baby! Sweet story, if you ask me.