Word List for July - 9 July 2014 - for Imaginary Garden and Real Toads

Greetings all toads and other creatures, walking or flying as the case may be and my post for

Imaginary Garden and Real Toads

I'm linking to their Word List for July, where one word was plucked from the last ten prompts.

Our challenge is to use at least three of these words and put it to a new poem.

The words are 
fresh, burst, defy, chain, struck, forward, exchange, customary, prefer and close.


For me, my garden of wits and words today travel upon the wings of an art piece of mine, in need of a poem or two.

Hippotigris Lands on Planet Eris Year 2562

Oh mystical creature 
Mister Hippotigris
of Planet Eris
aren't you just a Zebra?

I was utterly struck
by your gregarious bark,
 braying and snorting
of our recent greeting exchange.

Neither moo-moo or neigh
but oh, so highly pitched.
Is that customary 
from your Planet Eris?

Oh my, are those your teeth?
Or just another desirous
exchange of your home's port of call
on Planet Eris?
So soon before the Duchess of Eris Ball
begins?
Surely a most unusual, brilliant affair
of numerous animal fares.

I burst forward 
if you so prefer
in close customary
conjunction 
by deeply peering into my crystal ball.

You're without a leash or chain
and no further bark or brawl
but steadily grazing 
among fresh bloomed iris
and juicy ripe strawberries
not to defy
logic by any fellow commentaries
just Planet Eris straightforward.

Note: The Mister Hippotigris hid silently behind the tall timbering greenery, to be seen at a later date.