I walked into a building one overcast day

When the sky was quite gloomy and grubby.

And looked at the slots by the lobby doorbells,

where I spotted the name McGubGubby.

Now, when boredom ensues, and when chances to laugh

Are too few and too far in between,

My observing that name so fortuitously

Was like wakening up in a dream!

One that’s filled up with wizards and sparkle, and such.

With an elf, magic wand, and a puppy.

They all came to my mind as I studied the slot,

By the bell, where was listed: “McGubGubby.”

In a world with a surfeit of Greens, Smiths, and Jones,

One could easily, after a while,

Die of boredom from all of that same after same.

Did McGubGubby not cause us to smile?

So three cheers for McGubGubby … five cheers or six.

I celebrate “M” through to “Y.”

And whoever you are, with a name such as that

You must be a superlative guy!

Copyright © Shelly Reuben, 2025. Shelly Reuben’s books have been nominated for Edgar, Prometheus, and Falcon awards. For more about her writing, visit www.shellyreuben.com