Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Rhubarb

The rhubarb is a hardy plant
That humans found some uses for.
As a laxative it can grant
Relief from constipation more.
Though tart in taste, rhubarb does be
Cooked sweet with sugar for dessert.
But just the stalks are edibly.
The leaves contain poison to hurt.
Marco Polo and Ben Franklin,
Both fans, brought rhubarb near from far,
To open up new markets in
More places where more humans are.

Of course humans often dispute
Rhubarb - vegetable or fruit?

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Nilometer

In ancient Egypt, a sure bet
Was that the Nile River would flood.
The vital question was how wet
Would be the flood plain turned to mud?
Thus, the nilometer was built,
For predicting whether or not
The flood was good with new rich silt,
Or bad with famine or worse brought.
A vertical tower submerged
Down into waters of the Nile.
High priests and royals then converged,
And water depth marks did compile.

The better the predictions made,
The more crop taxes would be paid.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

World Turtle Day

Happy hashtag World Turtle Day.
A human brought me out to do
A photo op for Web display
On behalf of Lincoln Park Zoo.
An ornate box turtle I be
A photogenic model for
Doing some good work turtlely,
Getting the humans to care more.
We turtles do not ask for much,
But time and place to live life well.
Turtle and human lives do touch.
We all can thrive in this world shell.

Turtles in waters and on lands
Are in the fate of human hands.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

In Search of Love

He left the Black Hills and went East.
On foot he went in search of love.
Thousands of miles, his journey ceased.
In Connecticut he died of
Injuries when a motorist
Struck him by accident at night.
His tale continued to exist,
As evidence did come to light,
Showing his trail of D.N.A.
Across the Great Plains by Great Lakes
Through the Northeast he made his way,
With all the power instinct takes.

He found no love before his fate,
A cougar looking for his mate.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Mockingbird Dick

Thomas Jefferson had a pet,
A fav'rite mockingbird named Dick.
The duo did quite a duet.
The Prez, his violin would pick,
As Dick chirped forth in merry song.
Throughout the White House could be heard
The sound of music spread along,
Sharing 'twixt and 'tween man and bird,
A special bond in place and time,
With music's magic to flow free,
In nature's gift of rhythmed rhyme,
A perfect harmony to be.

Thomas Jefferson and Dick shared
The music of two singles paired.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Hell If I Know

If I sin I will go to hell,
Becuz the Bible tells me so.
I'm waiting for someone to tell
If that's really true - doncha know!
But so far I have not heard from
Someone who went to hell and back
To give the low down on sin some,
So I might get the inside track.
What of sin of lesser degree?
That's what I really want to learn.
For fibbing I don't want to be
Forever stuck in hell to burn.

Tiz hell for sinners here on Earth,
Not knowing what each sin is worth!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Awesome Eyeball - LP Zoo

This here ostrich is eyeing you,
As you are stopping to eye me,
Here and now in Lincoln Park Zoo,
Eyeball to eyeball we do be.
I bet you stare at my eyeball,
And wonder just how big it is.
Let's say my eyeball is not small,
But you can't measure it - gee whiz!
And as you meander away,
I keep you in my eyeball sight.
Quite sharp in focus you do stay,
Till I eye something else - all right!

As for keeping who's bigger scores,
My eyeballs are bigger'n yours.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

New News - LP Zoo

Snow monkeys do get born, we do.
Being born in this time and place,
Spring time in the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Comes natural - we make the case.
So excited the humans be,
And want the whole wide world to know.
The babes are ever on T.V.
The hi tech way of tell and show.
The births were not surprises, say
The humans giving the news scoop,
Cuz humans have a butt in way -
Analyzing snow monkey poop.

Hey look Mom - I'm on T.V.  - Wow!
If all the gang could see me now!

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Corpse Recycle

When a human being is dead,
We need to find a better way
Than to bury or burn, instead
Do a quick natural decay.
Leave the body in open air,
So bugs and bacteria can
Decompose well right then and there.
Efficiency should be the plan.
All death rituals old and new
Need to be done with common sense.
We need to do what we can do
To clean up death's waste consequence.

Dead ash and dust too often be
Mind over matter memory.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Margarita

May second - let us drink to that -
National Margarita Day.
Tequila found a habitat
Mixed with citrus fruit juice to play.
Margarita is Spanish for
Daisy, a drink mixing fruit juice
With alcohol - so need say more,
When tequila joined in the use.
Now the most popular mixed drink,
Per cent ordered in the U.S.
Must be becuz of fruit - you think!
Tequila - yes a better guess.

Margarita - May second's word.
Hangover - the word for May third.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Rhino Pinata - LP Zoo

Cinco de Mayo and guess what
This horned rhino gets to do?
A pinata I get to butt
Just for fun at Lincoln Park Zoo.
And the pinata humans made
Looks like a rhino head to tail,
All bright colorfully arrayed,
Just waiting for me to impale.
From past experience, I sense
That there will be a treat inside.
No need to keep up the suspense.
C'mon pinata - open wide!

One thing the humans are good for -
Keeping life from being a bore.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Kazho - LP Zoo

Kazho, Amur leopard, is me,
A new guest at Lincoln Park Zoo.
A year old female cat I be,
Still learning what I'm s'posed to do.
My kind come from the northern clime,
Where Russia and China are linked.
World's rarest cat now at this time.
In the wild we're almost extinct.
I can run fast, leap far and high,
Sleek in black spotted golden fur.
My long legs are one reason why.
Snow is no obstacle, for sure.

Come to the Zoo and check me out.
You'll find me feline fine, no doubt.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Side View - LP Zoo

I'm looking at the world all new,
Being born a few weeks ago.
Here at home at Lincoln Park Zoo,
I'm with Mom wherever we go.
Mom says us snow monkeys are here
To help the humans learn about
Us, so humans often appear.
They watch in at us, we watch out.
When I'm holding onto Mom's chest,
And Mom is walking all around,
I watch the humans at their best,
Cuz humans are all upside downed.

Watching the world is up to me,
Whether or not upside down be.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Only She

Female salamanders can clone
Themselves over and over so
They need no sex except their own
To keep their lineage in flow.
O'er millions and millions of years
Male salamanders leave their sperm
Lying around in local spheres.
The females find and do affirm
Contained therein is DNA,
Appropriate to add onto
The female's chromosome array,
To clone a salamander new.

Salamander gals lead the way
To a no need guys world one day.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Blue Faced Honey Eater - LP Zoo

The blue faced honey eater is
The name some humans gave to me.
Humans have a weird naming biz.
Lots of blue faced birds there must be.
One of my kind must have been seen
Someplace the humans eating are,
And curious, got 'twixt and 'tween
Some honey sitting in a jar.
Cuz mainly I eat bugs and plants.
My kind are from down under way.
Honey is eaten just by chance.
We know that bees don't like to play.

Whether or not your face is blue,
Come see me at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Agi Bridge Demon

Under Agi Bridge in Japan,
A demon was deemed to live there.
A full of liquor and self man
Crossed over the bridge on a dare.
And later in a tale he told
Of outwitting the demon by
Oiling the butt of his horse bold,
Slipping from the demon's death try.
Later the man's brother came to
The man's home, a visit to pay.
And then what did the brother do?
But off the man's head, some do say.

The demon danced then disappeared.
Demons are known for acting weird!

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Hot Time in the Ol' Town...

Centralia, Pennsylvania is
A town that really is on fire,
All thanks to the coal mining biz
That caused a long time burning pyre.
For decades the fire has burned on,
Beneath the ghost town underground.
Even the town's zip code is gone.
Land is eminent domain bound.
The government gets to decide
What will happen as the town turns.
The government's quite qualified
To fiddle while all about burns.

Town killed off by coal burning flame -
Did inspire a video game.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Tell Tale Tail

This Asian lizard lives to tell
A tale of how I lost my tail.
Six inches long it served me well,
Thrice as long as my bod on scale.
A big bird flew down from the sky,
And grabbed me by my tail, then flew
Me up and away, I knew why.
Cuz birds do eat lizards, birds do.
As we were flying o'er a tree,
I sent a message tail begone.
On a limb I landed safely,
While the bird and my tail flew on.

I lost my old tail from attack,
But I got my new tail growing back.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Obu is One - LP Zoo

I am the snow monkey, Obu.
May second was my birthday one.
First born at the Lincoln Park Zoo,
A year of learning and of fun.
For my birthday present, Mom did
Have a new baby just for me.
So now I'm not the only kid,
New brother or sister do be.
I'm just not yet sure girl or boy,
Even the humans don't yet know
A he or she bundle of joy.
And I'm excited - Sis or Bro!

I'm gonna help Mom all I can,
Cuz one year old - I am the man!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Bath by Mom - LP Zoo

'Bout two weeks old this lemur is.
I do stick close to Mom, I do.
Mom is busy with  new me biz
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
Getting Mom's milk - I'm good at that,
My fav'rite so far of Mom's care.
My mouth's mission is to be at
Any milk time - yes I'll be there!
Bath time - I'm not as thrilled about,
But Mom insists it must be done.
Mom must have good reason, no doubt,
But bath is not a lot of fun.

I've learned since being on Zoo scene,
Mom's mission is to lick me clean!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

People Watching - LP Zoo

I am a gorilla girl that
Hangs out at the Lincoln Park Zoo,
Observing from my habitat
The ins and outs that humans do.
The humans come from the outside,
Coming in through the Ape House door.
If I do choose to, I can hide,
But I can't hide forevermore.
I'm full of curiosity,
And want to watch the humans, just
As the humans want to watch me.
Must be a nature thing - yes must!

Watching the humans passing by
Is fun to do - I don't know why!

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Brew Poo

Kopi luwak, a coffee kind,
The most expensive humans drink.
What besides beans are in the grind?
Why civet poop - what do you think?
Humans cage civets for this use -
A load of poop profit there is,
Along with animal abuse,
A fact of life of doing biz.
What can account for human taste?
But wild civets dump best excrete.
Look to the wild for civet waste.
There civets choose best beans to eat.

Wild civets don't mind giving dung
To humor serving human tongue.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Beary Berry - LP Zoo

Humans do love me "beary" much,
And on a sign they write they do.
Of course I get a lot of such,
As a bear at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Humans are into artsy stuff,
So humoring them I do try.
Sometimes for me that's really tough -
I'm not an artsy kind of guy.
Whenever I get human art,
I check it all out right away.
There tends to be an attached part
That gives me reason to growl "yea."

Cuz what's even more "beary" sweet -
The kind of berry I can eat.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Beaded Lizard - LP Zoo

A beaded lizard I am called,
From Rio Fuerte, Mexico.
Bead like scales on my skin are balled.
Up to a meter I can grow.
A venomous lizard I be.
The bitten do not like my bite,
So humans tend to not like me,
And often kill me just on sight.
I have a forked tongue which I use
To stick out and to gather scents.
My brain computes and then I choose
'Tween going offense or defense.

I will stick out my tongue at you.
Visit me at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Beyond the Blue Dot - LP Zoo

For snow monkeys, part of the deal
Of being at Lincoln Park Zoo
Is do computer time for real.
Humans want to see how we do.
Touching the blue dot on the screen
Means a blue berry as a treat.
Can get boring - know what I mean!
How 'bout the Web - that would be neat!
Humoring humans hopefully
Will lead to more computing fun.
The whole wide Web - I wanna see.
A lot more hi tech should be done.

That darn blue dot - enough, enough.
I wanna surf for awesome stuff.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Seasons Greetings - LP Zoo

Tiz season at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
At Nature Boardwalk turtles rise
From the hybernating they do
For season to reclimatize.
Out of the pond onto a rock,
The turtles bask under the sun.
A duck swims by in quacking talk,
And the turtles wave to this one,
Remembering from Spring times past,
And even in the winter's muck
Be fond memories that would last.
A friendly face be what? - the duck!

The duck was remembered by all,
Thanks to having turtle recall.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

New Lemur Show -LP Zoo

A new born lemur - peek-a-boo -
Is checking out all this and that,
Calling home at Lincoln Park Zoo
In the Primate House habitat,
Right next to Mom all cuddled close,
Looking at strange things looking back.
All shapes and sizes do engross.
Mom says they are a harmless pack -
Called human beings, and they seek
To glimpse the new born lemur here,
So excited to get a peek.
Humans are so easy to cheer!

The baby lemur learns that is
Part of the routine of show biz.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Come Clean - LP Zoo

We meerkats at Lincoln Park Zoo
Encourage humans to come here
By public transportation - do
Make pollution less of a fear.
We all want to breathe cleaner air.
Chicago's public  system's good
Transporting humans here and there
Through each and ev'ry neighborhood.
So c'mon humans on the go,
Leave that polluting car behind.
Air can be cleaner - doncha know!
A matter that we all should mind.

Get off the train and come hobnob
At the Zoo with us meerkat mob.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Re Morse Incentive

Samuel Morse by mail received
News that his beloved wife had died,
Too late to say goodbye, he grieved,
By news too slow he'd been denied.
In later years he did invent
The Morse Code with the telegraph,
So important news could be sent
In time of the essence behalf.
A wire from Washington, D.C.
Strung along rail to Baltimore,
Age of the telegraph did be,
Faster news than ever before.

Morse shortened telling time - no doubt.
"What hath God wrought," he first tapped out.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

I Name - LP Zoo

I'm Izumi, snow monkey, from
Japan, now at Lincoln Park Zoo.
My new born baby girl has come.
Her name, Iwaki. did come through,
Becuz that was the name I chose,
By tapping the computer screen,
Of listed "I" names that arose,
From Japanese cities - how keen!
That's tradition for me and mine,
Even in the computer age,
To distinguish all of my line,
With Mom of course at center stage.

Outside, humans flocked all about.
I had to concentrate - no doubt!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Red Winged Blackbird - LP Zoo

I am back at the Nature Boardwalk,
Summer time at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Lots of us red winged blackbirds flock
To do our nesting, we do.
When walking humans walk too close
To where my family nest be.
I call a warning to engross
The humans to pay heed to me.
Too often humans just ignore
My voiced request to walk away.
And so I have no choice therefore,
But warn in aerial display.

Come too close to my nest - beware,
You will be dive bombed from the air.