Sense Sonnet - Acher

Letting Go - LP Zoo

My Baby sloth - 'bout six months old,
This Mom  has done her best to do
Nurturing him while in my hold,
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
But now the time has come, I know,
That my Baby will soon leave me
To independence he will go,
In search of his own destiny.
I have mixed feelings - happy/sad,
But I have more children to bear.
I will be getting word to Dad
That it again is time to share.

This Mom has been through this before.
My daughter left, but lives next door.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

International Zebra Day '17 - LP Zoo

International Zebra Day
On January thirty first,
Twenty seventeen, and we bray
In Lincoln Park Zoo in full burst.
Called Grevy zebras, we do be
Identified by wide round ears.
And on our snout you will see
Below stripes, patch of white appears.
Our bellies are white also.
The stripes are what stand out, of course.
And as we move, the patterns show
Dizzy world unlike any horse.

Wild zebras face extinction fate.
Save us is cause to celebrate.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

No Grant Immigrant

The nation that we've known as home
Is torn apart in hate and strife.
The time has come for us to roam
To a new land for a new life.
From immigrants we all did come.
As immigrants we now must go.
We will be judged by where we're from.
Such judgments are unfair, we know.
But here and now we are not free
From words and deeds that make no sense,
Put on us by powers that be,
A most frustrating consequence.

We want to leave the U.S.A.
The rest of Earth says, "Stay away."

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Reflect Upon - LP Zoo

You look at me, I look at you.
Tiz the way that we get in touch.
We connect at Lincoln Park Zoo,
And with each other we share much.
Between us there is more than glass.
There is a place and time to share
A special bond before we pass
From present here to future there.
My eyes do gaze into your eyes,
And your eyes do gaze into mine.
Reflecting nature is the prize,
As new found insights do combine.

While looking at this chimpanzee,
A human girl this chimp can see.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Hummingbird Time

Time flies less for a hummingbird,
When and where to find the next meal.
Too much time flying is absurd.
Perch and digest is the best deal.
Stick close to flowers known to be
The best nectar producers near,
And just when it will be timely
For the next entree to appear,
And then be the first one in line
To slurp up all that nectar best,
Remaining near after each dine
In the mode of perch and digest.

For a hummingbird time does rock,
Helped by a tiny alarm clock.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Dragon Drags On

A human visited a zoo,
A Komodo dragon to see,
The largest lizard known - yes true.
Ten feet long this lizard did be.
Bad judgment - the human was let
In with the Komodo dragon.
But one requirement that was set -
Removing the white shoes was done,
Because Komodo dragons eat
White mice, and might think the shoes were
A couple of the furry treat.
Best remove the shoes to be sure.

The Komodo dragon did put
It's jaws into the human's foot.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Mary Tyler Moore

Early T.V. you came into
The homes and hearts of families,
And in the '70s did do
Top shelf of T.V. comedies.
Start of the MTM empire,
Mary Tyler Moore was more,
A true example to inspire
That the cutest kitten can roar.
And toss the cap into the sky,
Being okay in graceful style.
And as the world kept spinning by,
You turned the world on with a smile.

Thank you for Mary's cap o' bliss,
Thrown with those smiles we're gonna miss.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Langur on the Move - LP Zoo

A young Francois' langur I be
At home in the Lincoln Park Zoo,
Living with all my family.
Loving to swing on high we do.
Recently, our keepers here
Redid our habitat so
More locomotion did appear,
New vines, new poles ala go go.
Visit the Primate House and gaze
At all my aerobatic skill.
I can do feats that do amaze.
So if you come visit, I will.

Part of my daily travelogue
Is swinging on the swinging log.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Python on View - LP Zoo

I see you coming, yes I do.
This green tree python keeps an eye
On all at the Lincoln Park Zoo,
All who, all what that happen by.
Of course the humans do be fun,
From my curled up spot in my tree,
To watch the watchings that be done,
Peeking for then peeking at me.
In the wild, the favorite prey
Are mice who wander by too late.
Fast food - I'm faster, I must say,
And swallowed whole - the mouse's fate.

Welcome to my Small Reptile House,
Especially if you're a mouse.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Hair Trump and the Inaugural Address

Hair Trump, here now I stand atop
The new Prez of the U.S.A.
In order that I do not flop,
I've been given some extra spray.
Inaugural Address - I'm proud
To be a part of history.
Boss' mouth calls it a bigly crowd.
Boss' eyes see what he wants to see.
Boss gives the speech - some cheer, some jeer.
Tradition in sealing the deal.
Get used to it folks, I am here.
Still many think I am not real.

This hair now - most powerful clump
In the whole world - I am Hair Trump.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Sahar is Seven - LP Zoo

Lion king, Sahar, is seven.
Only a special gift will do,
A grand gift from seventh heaven,
From fans at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
A life size water buffalo
Made with love and safe paper stuff,
And quick to it Sahar does go,
And instinctively does get rough.
Now some may wonder how and why
Sahar so quickly grabbed his gift,
No real buffalo are nearby,
But 'twas buffalo Sahar sniffed.

The feces scented gift does bring
Ripped unwrapping fit for a king.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Hurry Up Mom - LP Zoo

The snow monkeys love snow, they do.
Looks as though tiz about to snow
Real good at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
The young snow monkey's pepped to go,
But Mom wants to be very sure
Her young un is dressed in a way
To be in cold with enough fur
So young un's warm enough to play.
Over protective Mom may be,
Adding on an extra fur coat,
As young un looks out longingly,
Waiting for Mom as she does note:

"Just hold on, and with any luck,"
"I will get your zipper unstuck."

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Hunchback

"Hunchback" I hear locals call me
In Florida where I am at.
A big boy gator I do be,
Overbearing my habitat.
One reason that I got this size
Is I'm on human friendly ground,
A reserve to conservatize
My kind so that we can rebound.
For pics I am okay to pose,
So news of me can be relayed
To folks, my reality shows.
Thanks to y'all for your gator aid.

Yes, when you see me cross your track,
More than a hunch that I am back.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Circus Elephant No Show

The circus elephant was star
Long in "The Greatest Show on Earth."
A giant stuck in a clown car,
Counted only for profits' worth.
For ages countless humans came
To watch the elephant do tricks,
Not knowing the behind scene shame
Of bound in chains and beat by sticks.
It took over a century
For finally pressure to bear,
The circus elephant to be
No longer cast in the show there.

Soon after the elephant went,
Profits went down and so the tent.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Meow Chow - LP Zoo

Big cats, like jaguars, do you be
Curious to learn of us more?
You can come to breakfast with me,
And I will show and tell galore.
I do enjoy humans, I do,
Who come and visit ev'ry day,
Me and mine at Lincoln Park Zoo.
So hosting breakfast is my way
Of giving you a special treat,
Enriching us more 'twixt and 'tween
My own personal meet and greet.
'Twill be a very awesome scene.

Come visit me for breakfast chow.
Make your reservation right meow.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Who Will Play with Me? - LP Zoo

I see the human kids, I do,
All playing in the human space,
Next to me at Lincoln Park Zoo,
The human kids all shout and race,
Playing with blankets just like me.
By me, all covered up, they pass,
Making no notice that I be.
And so I pound upon the glass.
And round me put my blanket on
To show that I can play as well.
But when I peek out, they are gone.
I show my show, but none to tell.

Gorilla kids just want to play,
But human kids just run away.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Mourning Cloak

This butterfly stays in the North
When winter winds blow snowy cold.
And then this butterfly flies forth
When the sun with warmth does unfold.
The mourning cloak - this butterfly
Is called because of wings black hued,
Which soaks in warmth from sunny sky,
And puts me in a mating mood.
With warm wings I fly in search of
The somewhere out there perfect mate,
To come together in pure love,
Then die soon after - tiz my fate.

The mourning cloak - a name that be
Fit for a butterfly like me.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Penguin Awareness Day 2017 - LP Zoo

January twentieth is
Each year Penguin Awareness Day.
Spreading awareness is my biz
At Lincoln Park Zoo, on display.
I live here with my colony.
I am one of the younger guys,
And my name is Aje - ah gee,
And love to show off - no surprise!
South Africa is where my kind
Of penguin in the wild be found.
I'm in Chicago, but don't mind.
Spreading awareness I be bound.

Waddle we do to be aware?
Come together and show we care.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

A Day to Dream

He died in 1968,
Assassinated in a time
When there was too much racial hate,
One more victim of a hate crime.
To keep alive his memory,
To holiday his birth date turned.
'Twas not an easy day to be,
Fiery racial hatred still burned.
Decades have passed since he was killed.
The nation still struggles to try
To live the dream that he had willed.
The nation still is not sure why.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
His dream still seems so far away.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Wrap Rage

Plastic packaging did become
The preferred ways and means to sell
A product wrapped to protect from
Opening by a ne'er-do-well.
Customers should see but not touch
Until the customer did buy
The product that was packaged such
As hell to then open - oh my!
Many personal injury
Attempting to cut and to tear.
The Oyster Award there does be
For hardest to open affair.

Of the modern consumer age,
Beware the catching of wrap rage.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Bactrian Camel for One - LP Zoo

The Bactrian camel is one
Of many species in decline.
So breeding programs must be done
To try to save this camel line.
Threatened by humans in the wild,
Through hunt and loss of habitat.
Bad odds for any camel child
To grow to more than a loss stat.
So other ways and means need be
Found by us to better behave
In conservation, and so we
Can work for animals to save.

Efforts to save are what we do
As a goal at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Is this Dump for Real?

The latest news the rhinos get,
Visiting the common latrine.
Male rhinos have their noses set
On scoring gals on the poop scene.
Ready to mate females do poop
Chemical signals that relay
Availability - the scoop
That send the guys sniffing their way.
Nosy humans tested this out,
Doing a chemical do do,
Planting the faux feces about,
Observing the guys sniffing through.

A trick by humans to deceive
The rhino guy to make believe.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Surprise Served - LP Zoo

Ev'ry morning, the keepers do
Room service with a special touch
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
I am excited by this much.
This morning, giant strawberries,
Hand made, were left for me to find.
The size and color sure did please
Senses of my gorilla mind.
Of course this young girl did quickly
Dig through the wrapping, knowing that
Inside a tasty treat would be.
Love service at my habitat.

Something I have not gotten yet -
Mint on the pillow, humans get.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

BeLeaver - LP Zoo

I be a tamarin, I be
A golden headed lion one,
A Brazilian squirrel sized monkey
With a head mane like a lion.
I like to live up in the trees
Where I can find fresh fruits to eat,
Moving from branch to branch with ease,
Wary of what or who I meet.
Some tasty fruit did catch my eye.
I grab a piece, then off I go,
Chewing it on the run, and why?
Humans are watching - doncha know!

Of course, at the Lincoln Park Zoo,
You can see me, I can see you.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Unsuitable

A skunk and a penguin do meet
At a bar and both start to drink.
Drink after drink, each do compete,
Chugging shot after shot in sync.
The happy hour atmosphere
Devolves into slurred argument.
Social niceties disappear
Into a who's drunker event.
The penguin accuses the skunk
Of acting in a smelly way,
And being just a nasty drunk.
These last words the skunk has to say,

"Penguin, you are drunk absolute!"
"Cuz you have on backwards your suit!"

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Cantsbee

The mountain gorilla, Cantsbee,
Decades ago did get his name,
When the human, Dian Fossey,
Did make an erroneous claim,
That Cantsbee's mother was a male,
And when one morning Fossey saw
Mom nursing Cantsbee in detail.
Fossey yelled, "It can't be!" in awe.
Shortly after Fossey did die,
But Cantsbee did live on and on,
Still causing humans to ask why
Many Cantsbee phenomenon.

As Cantsbee comes and goes along,
He tends to prove the humans wrong.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

They Must Like Me

Mom and Dad mosquito did bear
Baby mosquito hatched anew.
They gave their Baby their best care,
Doing what mosquitoes do do.
And when the Baby reached the time
When mosquitoes from home must fly,
Baby flew off in soaring climb.
Mom and Dad mosquito did cry.
A while later Baby flew home.
Asked about Baby's time away
By Mom and Dad on this first roam,
This is what Baby had to say:

"I felt as good as I could be."
"Ev'ryone was clapping for me."

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Born on Christmas - LP Zoo

A colobus monkey is born
On Christmas at Lincoln Park Zoo.
A snowy whiteness does adorn
The babe that's come forth fresh and new.
In a few months the skin and fur
Will slowly turn from white to black,
With some white placemarks left for sure,
Like the long fluffy tail on back.
The mother cares for her young one,
And keeps her newest child close by.
Whether a daughter or a son -
A gift from nature, that is why.

Visit and see this Christmas light.
Check the hammock for a good sight.