Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Seal of Disapproval - LP Zoo

For months now, visitors have not
Been able to get a good view
Of us seals in the Seal Pool spot,
In middle of Lincoln Park Zoo.
Repavement has been being done.
No seal closeups have taken place.
Who knows how much cost overrun
From "working" at such a slow pace!
We seals watch humans on this job
Which does move like molasses flow.
The time just ticks along a gob.
How come do humans move so slow!

C'mon you humans, let's get real.
Get the job done, let's seal the deal.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Santa's Work in Progress

The reindeer herd was getting old,
But Santa could not bear the thought
Of replacement, so something bold
To keep momentum needed brought.
And so Santa had the elves build
Some rocket boosters for the sleigh,
As a means to keep speed fulfilled.
The reindeer still would lead the way.
Alas, the rockets worked too well,
Sending Santa and all too fast,
Zoomed round like a bat out of hell,
Could make no stops after the blast.

Into orbit Santa's sleigh whirled,
And 'twas the herd shot round the world!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Frederick the Great

Prussian King Frederick the Great
Spent decades and money and built
A big army in a small state,
And warred with neighbors with no guilt.
Effeminate, he held high court
Made up of young and handsome guys,
Banished the ladies of all sort,
Even the the Queen he did despise.
But those he loved the most of all
Were many dogs both he and she,
All buried neath the palace wall,
Where Frederick did wish to be.

Buried elsewhere, centuries passed,
The King joined with his dogs at last.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Temporary No Peeking - LP Zoo

The crowned lemurs are staring out.
The Primate House is empty of
Human visitors posed about,
Peeking at the lemurs above.
Closed for maintenance is the why
There is no human peek a boo.
Humans will simply have to try
Other peeks at Lincoln Park Zoo.
The crowned lemurs will still be here
When the maintenance work is done,
Awaiting for you to appear,
And once again all will be fun.

The Primate House closed for a week.
You must be patient for a peek.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Well Read Hermit

The hermit lived in north Maine woods
For 27 years until
Got hunted down for stealing goods.
The law intrudes as the law will.
A lot of what he stole he read,
Books and magazines to pass time
During the lonely life he led,
Only to reach out in thief crime.
Behind a wall of rock and tree,
The hermit carved a niche to live
Pure relief from society
With only written words to give.

This hermit had a flat read for
National Geographic floor.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Autism Awareness - LP Zoo

This tiger at Lincoln Park Zoo
Raises autism awareness,
With the hashtag LightItUpBlue.
Some may think that tigers care less
About this disorder that be
Found in young humans more and more,
But can be found to some degree
In most animals if checked for.
Autism is a puzzle still
That can be solved if we all try.
There is a way where there's a will
To such answers to questions why.

A blue puzzle piece, I do show
We're better off, the more we know.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Mine Duty

In King Solomon's day 'twas me
That carried copper from the mine
So that King Solomon could be
A wealthy ruler, wise and fine.
Over a hundred miles I took
The copper over holy land,
That's the subject of the good book,
Teaching of King Solomon grand.
The King and I are long, long dead.
Modern folks do want to know more,
Checking out what the Bible said
'Bout the riches from the mine ore.

Solomon's mines - new theories sprung,
Thanks to finding my donkey dung.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Hair Trump and the April Fool's Joke

The tweet went out on early morn,
A hairless Trump was pictured there.
Never happened since he was born.
What happened to The Donald's hair?
Of course the media went wild.
Who in the White House did conspire?
Several theories were compiled.
What barber would the Prez first fire?
Maybe 'twas always a fake piece.
The Prez forgot to put it on.
Baldie jokes now would never cease.
An impeachment phenomenon?

A bald The Donald - there's no way.
Hair Trump joke on April Fool's Day.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Badgering

This human was studying me,
And left a dead cow on the ground,
With a camera on to see
What happened when this badger found
The carcass, so I played along.
A bunch of tunnels I did dig
Underneath and the dead weight strong
Collapsed into a hole just big
Enough to then cover in dirt,
With one tunnel for me thereto.
For days I ate desert dessert,
Fun for this bored badger to do.

The human was beyond belief,
Yelling out loudly, "Where's the beef!"

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Oliver RIP - LP Zoo

Onyx and Oliver, true bros,
A pair of Dexter cattle who
Oft were together nose to nose
On the Farm in Lincoln Park Zoo.
From Ireland come the Dexter breed,
Gaelic meaning divine bovine.
A handsome pair of steers indeed,
Seen by visitors farmyard fine.
Oliver's coat a chestnut brown,
And the coat of Onyx a black,
Well dressed guys in Chicago town,
Custom tailored - not off the rack.

Bro Oliver to divine gone.
Bro Onyx earthly carries on.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Toad on Board - LP Zoo

An American toad I be
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
Lots in Chicago just like me,
Representing wildlife we do.
The Zoo is a good time and place
To come together in the call
To make the best of urban space
For the good for wildlife for all.
A new symbol is on display,
An artful curved hashtag design
In crossing lines to show the way
For sharing lives that can align.

We all can be a part me thinks
Of forming Lincoln Park Zoo linx.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Mr. Damselfly

This male damselfly found did fly
More than a million years ago.
Now found by modern humans, I
Am well preserved in amber flow.
I guess my legs set me apart
From damselflies from modern day.
He legs were key into her heart,
A lure in an appealing way.
My legs are long and quite ornate,
Not like today's guys, small and plain,
Not much to show to would be mate.
I was some stud - not to be vain.

If me, the now she saw, I guess
She'd be a damsel in distress.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Saint Patrick's Day

March 17th, Saint Patrick's Day,
The day tiz said Saint Patrick died,
After a life sharing the way
To Irish heaven far and wide.
The green shamrock with three leaves be,
Saint Patrick did use to explain
Simply the Holy Trinity
To Irish pagans - made it plain.
In modern times the day's become
A world wide time to celebrate
Irish - no matter where you're from.
Little about Saint Patrick late.

So if you see Saint Patrick's ghost,
Raise a Guinness and do a toast.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Verify Blues

To be or not to be fake news.
How is a body s'posed to know?
How 'bout that brain we're s'posed to use!
But good brain use is just so so.
What we want to believe we do,
And wish wash our brains that way,
And want others to do so too.
More it's believed, more it we say.
The experts say to verify.
Each expert thinks he/she is right,
Cuz he/she's an expert is why,
And has verifying insight.

How to tell if verifiers
Are tellers of truth or liars!

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Hippocampus Off

The hippocampus of the brain,
Named for a seahorse lookalike,
Forming memory - its role main
Through each one's lifespan from a tyke.
Due to illness or injury,
The hippocampus can be hurt,
Causing a loss of memory,
And time itself does go inert.
Most memories of past begone,
And oft no memories anew.
The now is all that is left on.
Living the moment must make do.

The past and future lost somehow,
Only a perpetual now.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Mice Address

Way back in ancient times, the mice
Lived out of doors, mostly in fields.
But then some mice thought 'twould be nice
To try out the human house yields.
And so the house mouse came to be,
Sharing a house with humankind,
And nibbling human food for free,
But also cats and traps to find.
Some humans really want to know
Such ins and outs of mice lifestyle
Throughout the times and places, so
Check out dead mice teeth, pile by pile.

To live or not to live - each mouse
May pick a field or pick a house.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Glass Frog

Called a glass frog, I got the name
Because my belly be see through,
Clearly a for sure claim to fame,
I do show what's inside, I do.
My gastrointestinal tract
Is visible and can be seen
From underneath, and that's a fact.
My upper back is a lime green.
I am small, a quarter coin size,
And live in rain forest terrain.
I can be heard to vocalize,
If you trespass in my domain.

A tummy ache does settle in,
If you get under my clear skin.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Citizen Dummie

Being born in the U.S.A.
Made me a citizen by right.
Nothing can take that fact away,
Even though I am not too bright.
Ask me any question about
Uncle Sam and the government,
I will not have a clue, no doubt.
And with that fact, I am content.
Just one of the dumb powerless,
Governed by powers that be smart.
It is just by dumb luck, I guess,
We're not completely torn apart.

Nieces/nephews of Uncle Sam,
Most of us dumb - who gives a damn!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Asperitas

The asperitas, Latin for
Roughness, is a brand new named cloud.
Cloudies are excited galore,
Asperitas joins the in crowd.
Low lying undulating waves,
Foreboding as in Judgement Day,
Getting born out of thin air raves,
They pass in a non stormy way.
This new cloud's celebrity came,
Snap shot by ordinary folk,
In just a few years gained such fame,
Became air apparent - no joke!

Who knows what all passes us by -
Yet to be named clouds in the sky!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Kea

Through the New Zealand air, the call
Of kea parrot can be heard,
Sending tiz time to play for all
To each and ev'ry kea bird.
Whether together or alone,
Kea are prompted by their sound
To become rapt in a play zone
Whether in air or on the ground.
No kea call, the kea were
Serious before and after.
But with the call came change for sure,
Kind of like infectious laughter.

The kea bird call be the way
To unlock the kea to play.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Favorite Cute Ugly

I see him sunning on the beach,
A mass of flesh, wrinkly and pink.
The sight would make some children screech.
He turns to me and gives a wink.
Not a good looking specimen,
The years have not aged him too well,
A blob of fat and hairless skin,
Not giving off a pleasant smell.
But he is easy to adore,
As many ugly creatures are,
Looking like waste washed up on shore,
Puffing away on his cigar.

An ugly-cute animal be
My favorite Uncle Henry.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Snow and No Tell - LP Zoo

"What do you think that Dad will say?"
One daughter asks the other one.
"We will just hurry up and play."
"We brought the snow, let's have some fun."
And so the young sisters do make
The snow into a great big pile.
Co culprits share for mischief sake,
Snowing that it is all worthwhile.
After all, Dad is now asleep.
No problem if Dad does not know.
Neither girl will utter a peep,
'Bout the habitat full of snow.

That's what sister gorillas do
At home in the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

In Snow - LP Zoo

I love to play in snow, I do.
But it's too cold to play outside
Today at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
So inside snow, keepers supplied.
Snow makes my senses come alive -
Sight, taste, sound, smell and of course feel.
Never too old - going on five -
To jump into the snow with zeal.
I know I have to jump in fast,
Cuz snow in heat does not last long.
Fun memories will ever last.
Snow play - there is no right or wrong.

Quick jump in snow, I whirl and twirl.
Just watch me go - gorilla girl!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Spotted All Over - LP Zoo

A jaguar at Lincoln Park Zoo,
And you can spot me by my spots,
Called rosettes, each in a rich hue
Of gold on black, and I have lots.
I myself don't look at them much,
But oft I use my tongue to lick
Them clean and glossy nice and such.
Some pointed grooming does the trick.
Of course when I am moving fast,
My spots blur more as more I speed.
But when I make a stop at last,
Again you'll spot my spots indeed.

And underneath all of my fur
The spots are on my skin, for sure.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Better Zoos

To be or not to be in zoos,
The humans argue back and forth.
From the captive ones' acquired views,
Polar bears know not of wild North.
Most captive polar bears are born
In zoos with habitats now built
For better living, less forlorn.
Of course humans still feel the guilt.
The captive polar bears cannot
Back into the wild be let go.
Better habitats need be sought,
Ever be human need to show.

Bad habitats now when and where -
Public pressure be made to bear.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Comfort Zone - LP Zoo

We Japanese macaques must do
With temperature variety.
Being at the Lincoln Park Zoo,
We are as comfy as can be.
Chicago winds blow hot and cold,
And often both close 'twixt and 'tween.
A comfort zone is thus controlled
Throughout our habitat scene.
Cooling or warming methods are
Places where we know we can go.
We've lots of choices repertoire.
Humans keep track of what we know.

Of course one method can't be beat -
Hugging to share the body heat.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Mr. Mom Bug

I carry them upon my back.
Young uns - the Missus put them there.
This Dad does care for the whole pack.
Tiz a burden that I do bear.
Upon my back, the young uns stay,
Until they've reached the ready stage
To come forth and go on their way.
All kids some time do reach that age.
There is no one else to help me.
The Missus left me on my own.
The one and only parent be
Yours truly in the baby zone.

Until they hatch, the eggs I lug,
This Dad - a giant water bug.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut was a Pharaoh's name
In ancient Egypt long ago,
But through the ages did get fame
As the true first female Pharaoh.
When Daddy became mummy bound,
To her half brother she was queen.
Then Hubby died, her turn came round,
And madam P came on the scene.
A couple of decades she ruled.
Her step son - a thorn in her side,
Her memory, he ridiculed,
When he took over when she died.

Grand building projects, she did much
To give Egypt a woman's touch.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

Hair Trump and the Bike

Help save the climate - ride a bike.
Prez Trump wanted to do his part.
An image his critics would like,
Riding a bike would be a start,
While traveling around D.C.
No motorcade but a bikecade.
A carbon tire print much less be.
A photo op that's ready made,
And sent out on Twitter to show
How much Prez Trump really does care.
The pedaling Prez Trump must know
D.C. has got lots of hot air.

The biking Prez - message to send -
Hair Trump a blowing in the wind.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Hagfish

I am a hagfish studied by
Humans who find me quite unique.
On the sea bottom I do lie.
Dead carcasses I mainly seek.
Eel like I tie myself in knots,
And wiggle in Houdini style.
Once inside, I devour lots,
Making the gory trip worthwhile.
A live one comes my way sometime.
I use my best defense/offense,
And cover the live one in slime.
I don't know why - it just makes sense.

The more by humans I be checked,
The more I get human respect.