Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Mom Watch - LP Zoo

White cheeked gibbon, Burma, be blonde,
As the adult females do be.
As mate and Mom, Burma does bond
With the rest of her family.
From a perch in her habitat,
The Primate House kitchen may be seen.
Burma checks out where meals be at.
On matters of food, Mom be keen.
When Burma sees room service come,
She alerts family to go
To the area where yum yum
Will be - Burma is on the know.

This is daily Burma to do.
Come watch her at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Madame Tussaud

Madame Tussaud of wax work fame
Began her career under threat
Of guillotine, but release came,
Thanks to dead Marie Antoinette,
Who had been Madame's boss until
She lost her head to guillotine.
Madame used the head to fulfill
A wax remake of the once Queen.
Thus launched was Madame's new career.
And quickly she did get ahead,
Making the wax figures appear,
Bringing new life to famous dead.

The job - she did not get the ax.
Madame - wonder woman of wax.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Neighborly Guy - LP Zoo

A good neighbor takin I be
Here home at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Two ladies live next door to me.
They do be nosy, yes they do.
They stick their ostrich necks up high,
And watch me taking in some sun.
Of course I am a proper guy,
And no hanky panky be done.
I simply nod a horn and wink
A "Howdy ma'am" to the bird pair.
I have no notion what they think,
But no harm in letting them stare.

This is a friendly neighborhood.
Live and let live I feel is good.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Crack the Ripper

Siberia - the crack began.
A crater opening the ground.
Some believe that it is hell's plan.
Such superstition does abound.
But experts blame the climate change.
There's whole lots less of permafrost.
The warmed up ground does rearrange.
More methane gas spewed is a cost.
The crater expands year by year,
Having a hot snow ball effect,
Unstoppable, some experts fear.
What dire consequence to project?

The rip will worsen as rips do.
The planet Earth will split in two!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Passion in Death

An antechinus male I be
Marsupial - look like a mouse.
A year long sperm maker is me,
Then orgy to death - I don't grouse.
Couple of weeks I go non stop,
Meeting with females left and right.
Girl after girl I pick and pop,
Speed mating through all day and night.
My body quickly takes a toll.
The vital parts start to decay.
Dying grotesque becomes my role.
The girls begin to run away.

Why such a self sacrifice guy?
I just am and I don't know why.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Swimming Pigs

Bahamas Swimming Pigs we be
Living a long time on Pig Beach,
On Big Major Cay Isle where we
Had been safe from the humans' reach.
How we first got here, no one knows.
Tiz an oinking mystery true.
But as the human meddling grows,
You cause danger to us, you do.
Human boaters throw lots of stuff,
Bad for us, washing to shore, and
Of course we eat it sure enough,
Including eating lots of sand.

C'mom you humans, wise up, or
We Swimming Pigs will be no more.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Till Death Do Us Part - LP Zoo

Wasabi and Sancho were two
Asian river otters who came
Together at Lincoln Park Zoo,
And over many years held claim
To cutest couple to be seen.
Close together wherever at -
Both in the water submarine,
Or in their nap time habitat.
A true love story shared with all,
Who took a moment to stop by,
To see the otters, hear them call,
Heartwarming both to ear and eye.

Sancho's lifetime came to an end,
And Wasabi lost her best friend.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

The Parent Trap

They raised their kids and off they sent,
Thinking that they had done their best.
But then the grown kids did present
Back again - a parental test.
A mooching grown up kid is bad.
Of course the kid is family.
Decision time for Mom and Dad.
How giving should the parents be?
Do the parents have lots to share,
Or have some lean and mean times struck,
Determine how the grown kids fare,
And whether in or out of luck.

Their grown up kids stick close like glue.
What are penguin parents to do!

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Ben's Fake News

New York white settlers massacred
By natives at British command.
In Paris this headline assured
Anti British feelings as planned.
And who was behind this fake news?
Ben Franklin had made up the tale.
He feared that his comrades would lose.
The Revolution could not fail!
And sure enough, the tale did tell
Of how and why the British should
Be considered demons from hell.
Revolution support was good.

To be true or not - who can guess,
When reading freedom of the press!

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Hair Trump and the Cap

"Make America Great Again,"
On the cap I have come to hate.
Pushed on me, it is a real pain.
I do not like to share the pate.
The cap goes on, the cap comes off,
No matter how I rant and rave.
The boss should know his well known coif
Wants no part of a messy wave.
The Donald's in a winning phase
Thanks to me - his goldiorange locks.
The slogan is a bigly phrase.
Stick it elsewhere - how 'bout the socks!

Hair Trump makes sweat to let boss know
This doggone cap has got to go.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Some Food for Thought

We seldom had good food to eat.
The famine was taking its toll.
But tonight Mom had cooked some meat,
And made a tasty casserole.
We kids could not remember when
The last time we had a good meal.
With excitement, we all dug in,
Hard to believe that this was real.
A full stomach gave us good cheer.
Ev'ry bit of the meat we ate,
Saving some for the one not here.
Mom had said that Dad would be late.

We argued whether good or bad,
When we found out that we ate Dad.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Love to Death

An anaconda girl I be
Looking for love in Mister Right.
All the males are smaller than me,
So I must do my thing with lite.
Relationship is more than sex.
He will also be a good source
Of protein for me when he's ex.
I think down deep he knows, of course.
And so when the mating is done,
I strangle till he's out of breath.
Call it a fatal attraction.
I eat him up - love him to death.

And an eavesdropping human sees
Me do biz with my latest squeeze.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Bella Be 2 - LP Zoo

A birthday party just for me.
And the theme of my party is
All buzz about this honey bee,
With sweet treats made from honey biz.
I grab onto a bee shaped cake,
And lick the honeyed stuff therefrom.
It's my bee day for goodness sake,
And happy is lots of yum yum.
What's left over becomes my hat,
And I put on and off to show
All watchers in my habitat.
I go gorilla girl, I go.

I bee at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
I bee Bella and I bee two.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Threesome Turn Three - LP Zoo

Roger and Lola and Randy,
Giant Flemish rabbits turn three.
Ear marked as a time that's dandy
At the Farm in the Zoo to be.
When Chicago weather permits,
Just in the entrance to the Farm
Is the hutch where the trio sits,
Each full of a big bunch of charm.
How giant do these rabbits get?
Bigger than a bread basket? - Yes!
Take a chance on a bunny bet -
Twenty pounds would be a good guess.

To visit these big hoppers do
Come visit the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Amelia - LP Zoo

Amelia - humans call me.
Bald eagle made in U.S.A.
Because I had an injury,
Lincoln Park Zoo is where I stay.
Madame ambassador for all
Bald eagles flying through the skies,
Soaring above in freedom's call,
In spirit - Amelia flies.
Come visit, and together we
Will share a time and a place where
We'll make some wonder, you and me.
There will be magic in the air.

Wings ready for my flying start,
I am Amelia air heart.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Heart Held

Romeo and Juliet died,
Fulfilling a lover's death pact.
Buried apart, but put inside
The tomb of each, a heart felt act.
Removed from the body of each,
As was a custom of time then,
The heart placed in the other's reach,
To share each other's heart again.
Their families lived on in hate,
But thanks to help from unknown hand
Each heart was held, despite death's fate.
Their love embraced through all time spanned.

The young lovers never did part,
As told true by each tell tale heart.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Lower Level - LP Zoo

The humans come to view, they do,
Us penguins doing our thing,
On display at Lincoln Park Zoo.
The short humans have poor viewing,
The further back we penguins be.
This penguin does what I do best,
So best the human kids can see,
With faces up to the glass pressed.
Into the water I do dive,
And swim into the close up place,
Where one on one meet comes alive,
Me and short human, face to face.

The shorter you, the more I care
That get close moments we do share.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Mission Possible

The spacecraft on a mission came
May eons ago, Earthbound.
Instead of a safe landing aim,
Crashed and buried deep underground.
All the alien lifeforms died,
Except microbes that were aboard,
Accidentally brought inside,
Coming to Earth to be explored.
Earthlings did eventually
Dig deep and find the microbes live,
Taking specimens to study
The how and why they still did thrive.

Awakened from a long deep sleep,
Microbes have a mission to keep.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Beholding Eye - LP Zoo

Around and round and round they go,
Each of my two swiveling eyes.
Three hundred sixty degrees show,
So I am not caught by surprise.
This here chameleon sets sights
On any and all movements that
Trigger my dislikes or delights,
That be seen from my habitat.
People watching is fun for me.
Humans are such a crazy bunch.
Quite friendly here, the humans be.
Just not my choice to eat for lunch.

Visit me at Lincoln Park Zoo.
I'll keep an eye out just for you.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Zipper

Chicago World's Fair - I debuted.
Clasp Locker was my debut name.
At first complicated and crude,
I soon went on to world wide fame.
Shoe biz was where I started out,
To keep a shoe on snug and tight.
My mass production came, no doubt,
In World War I to help the fight.
By then I was efficient aid,
Teeth interlocking firm and fast.
Because of the sound that I made,
I got the name that still does last.

Just pull me by your fingertips,
And that is how this zipper zips.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Buzz Tone

This bumblebee has learned to buzz
In the tone of a middle C.
This is the perfect pitch beecuz
It makes the flowers go crazy,
Releasing pollen by the bunch.
I just wrap all my legs around
This flower power and do lunch,
Keeping on the C note buzz bound.
How do I know a flower's right
To put in buzz effort and time?
I feel for charge when on I light.
If go - I buzz rhythm and rhyme.

This bumblebee does look for food,
Buzzing in the tone of "Hey Jude."

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Age Old Why?

We travel round the world, we do.
And in a group we often go.
So many o'er time wish they knew
What only each of us do know.
Some times, some places we do reach
A point from where we cannot turn.
Most often happens on a beach.
Answers for why so many yearn.
What motivates us all to be
Placing ourselves in harm's way?
Many ask the questions, and we
Have the answers, but do not say.

The whales do beach, the whales do die.
Even Aristotle asked why!

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Hair Trump and the Tweets

When mad, some folks tear out their hair.
So far my boss has not done that.
I'm able to keep in place there,
Atop the Prez' head where I'm at.
It does not take much to set off
The boss into a miffed tirade.
But I seem to maintain my coif,
As mental case below be made.
His face does turn to fiery red,
And then his fingers come across
In characters his message said,
And all a Twitter be the boss.

So when the boss decides to tweet,
I just hope this Hair Trump holds neat!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Born Orange - LP Zoo

A Francois langur baby be
Newly born at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Look for a ball of orange to see.
Black is for older, orange for new.
Already the new baby is
Bouncing about with Momma near,
Busy to be in monkey biz,
As Momma holds her bundle dear.
The rest of the family are
Welcoming in the newest one,
That shines as a bright orange star.
Momma has work, the rest have fun.

The Primate House - do come on by,
And look for orange somewhere up high.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Pass Less Gas

Tiz sixteen tons of CO2
That ev'ry year I do emit.
The experts tell me that I do.
I really could ease up a bit.
For ev'ry ton that I can ease,
I save a chunk of arctic ice,
Thirty two square feet, if I please.
I can and should - that would be nice.
Using fuel and causing waste less,
Getting eco-smarter lots more.
Some better habits, I would guess,
I could save arctic ice galore.

Some help from me can do a lot.
Why save the arctic ice? Why not!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Chimp Heart

Every year on this same day
The artful red pieces do show,
Pieces with which are fun to play,
And I grab at them to and fro.
The same shape but in dif'rent size,
I know they are a welcome sight.
Each smell and taste be a surprise.
They really give me such delight.
I don't know why, but I do be
Feeling good, the red pieces do
Be a special gift just for me.
Tiz the love at Lincoln Park Zoo.

The valentines are more than art,
Giving love in to my chimp heart.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

The Real Good Bat

Batman has been fiction for years,
And now there is a Lego one.
But for real bats there are few cheers.
A bad rap on us has been done.
When I fly off into the night
It is not my intent to scare.
To humans I do seem a fright.
Humans scare me and I beware.
I do a lot of good while out.
Bugs I eat, plants I pollinate.
The world is better off, no doubt,
That bats like me do circulate.

Dark Knight - I do not wonder why.
I just lego and off I fly.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

A Bear for All Seasons - LP Zoo

Hibernation - yes some bears do.
But this here black bear, Birch, does not
Hibernate at Lincoln Park Zoo -
Too busy a schedule I've got.
In summer, fall, winter and spring,
Visitors come by ev'ry day,
And watch me doing my bear thing.
I don't have time to sleep away.
Now I don't bear this trait alone.
Most black bears do the same as me.
Call it a high efficient zone
That my metabolism be.

A very light sleeper is why
A bear for all seasons am I.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Re Spectacled Caiman - LP Zoo

A spectacled caiman I be
Home here at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
I am in the croc family.
Looks like I have on specs, I do.
I lie still in my water pool,
And watch the humans as they pass.
Humans are so easy to fool,
As they stare at me through the glass.
A spectacle to watch, indeed,
Some humans thinking I am fake,
Staring at me with intense need
To see some movement I may make.

Humans are so fun to beguile.
Without moving, I crack a smile.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Color Me Yellow

The Egyptian vulture is known
For its bright yellow beak and face.
The more robust the yellow zone,
The better romance we embrace.
We require constant maintenance
For keeping up this yellow hue.
We have the fashion and food sense
To eat carotenoids, we do.
Yellow food does intensify
The yellow on us - him and her.
One food is best - we don't know why,
But colors us yellow for sure.

Vibrant yellow food - what's the scoop? -
The eating of yellow cow poop!

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Lina

As a child he did fall in love
With Lina, always in his heart.
Her absence, he'd be thinking of
Her, wishing they were not apart.
He'd be with her to ease away
The heavy burdens on his mind.
A loving couple, they would play
Love's notes of music that could bind
Them in the greatest act of all,
More than just a hard cold theory,
But a soft warm beckoning call,
Proving true relativity.

"Lina," a violin played fine
By her lover, Albert Einstein.