Adaptations of 'Happy'

Comment:

I find the short story 'Happy' by SonicGirl4Ever a very touching portrait of Rocket Raccoon. It inspired me to make two adaptations. When I read it, the concentrated power of the short story made me realise that the story can even be compressed more.

Version 1 is the first version I made, some time ago. I tried to express the essence in about 150 words and attempted to add some rhythm.

A voice in my head kept nagging that the story could be concentrated even more; there had to be a poem or a song text in there. Last few days a muse visited me and I managed to turn it into a lyric poem/ song text, shown in the next chapter as Version 2. I'm not experienced with writing poems, but I'm satisfied with how it turned out. Now it counts only 79 words.

If you find SonicGirl's story and mine inspiring and you feel inspired to come up with a further adaptation, I'm eager to see the result. If you like to do this, please contact SonicGirl4Ever and me about it.

Version 1

Happy/ We All Love You, Rocket

Hands strapped him down once. Hands cut him open. But now friends are with him. They pat his back with pride. Caressing him, loving him.

He was the loneliest little monster. A trigger-happy beast. Puny, mangled but no more. His friends will drag him out of hell. Did an angel send them?

Their love makes him happy. Soothing is their touch. What truly makes him happy though, is that he lives for them. Fights with them, fights for them.

Deep inside his tainted heart, he loves and admires. But he cannot tell them. These words he doesn't know. He means much more to say.

Every once and now and then, he needs to speak his heart. His friends need to hear. He can't say 'I love you'. All he can get past his lips is ... that he is happy.