Sense Sonnet - Pumper

New Snow - LP Zoo

A bunch of new snow - what to do!
This polar bear does ponder this
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
No doubt, new snow is cause for bliss.
My common senses tell me that
New snow is worthy of high five
In time and place - my habitat
To make my feelings come alive.
I see the white, I hear the crunch,
I smell the fresh, I taste the chill,
Of course I touch the snow a bunch.
All of my senses I fulfill.

New snow, with all my heart and soul
This polar bear is on a roll.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Change '18 - LP Zoo

This polar bear supports, I do,
The change that young people have made
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,
For more environmental aid.
Too much burning of fossil fuels
Warm up too much the atmosphere.
Humans need find some better tools
Or arctic ice will disappear,
Leaving polar bears in peril grave,
As food sources do move away.
Change of human habits can save
Polar bears for a better day.

Give young the chance and there's no doubt
The young can bring good change about.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Face Off - LP Zoo

Hi, I'm Luigi - who are you?
I am a sloth and you are not.
We both be at Lincoln Park Zoo,
And each of us the other spot.
I look at you, you look at me,
A look shared in this time and place,
Looking to see what each can see
During this come to face to face.
I am used to this sort of thing.
Humans look at me ev'ry day.
All sorts of faces humans bring,
Each looking dif'rent on display.

Please do not think me impolite.
I have a snack and want a bite.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Come Out and Play - LP Zoo

One giraffe and two zebras do
A game of catch me if you can,
At home in the Lincoln Park Zoo,
All around their Savannah span.
Black and white stripes, gold and white spots
Do dance about in time and space,
Twisting, turning 'twixt and 'tween lots,
The merry three in merry chase,
On a Chicago winter day,
Warm, bright and sunny with no snow,
A game of tag - what better way
Than let loose and go with the flow.

Oh, Lincoln Park Zoo gives a home
Where the giraffe and zebras roam.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Free Pass

The Venus flytrap plant is known
For liking to eat bugs galore.
Once on its leaves the bugs have flown,
The trapped bugs become main encore.
But Venus flytraps do rely
On bugs to also pollinate.
Some beetles and bees freely fly
Into the plant without dire fate.
How does the Venus flytrap know
Whether to eat the bug or not?
Tiz a secret why this is so -
Just Venus flytraps' food for thought.

Somehow the plant knows how to greet,
And pick and choose which bugs to eat.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

The Lady Lovibond

The ship,the Lady Lovibond
Sailed in seventeen forty eight
On Valentine's Day, for a fond
Voyage that met a tragic fate.
The captain with his new wed bride
Hosting a party down below.
The first mate, jealousy inside,
Steered to aground and made it so.
The ship sank, all aboard were killed.
Ev'ry fifty years some do say
The ship returns for unfulfilled
Dreams of love on Valentine's Day.

A tale that's told, to be exact,
More on fiction and less on fact.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Mission of Love - LP Zoo

For Valentine's Day I must do
Something special for my sweetheart,
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,
A show of my love to impart.
She's not a flower, candy gal,
And I have no money to spend.
I should impress and so I shall
With a true love message to send.
I think I'll make something by paw,
Maybe adorned with my own fur.
She will behold it in pure awe,
And I will make her day for sure.

I'll make an awesome valentine
For significant otter mine.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Lucy Delivers

The "I Love Lucy" T.V. show
Wrote Lucy's real life pregnancy
Into the story line, and so
Little Ricky was born to be.
The network CBS okayed
Lucy as pregnant on the air,
But a requirement that was made,
The word "pregnant" no one could share.
So "expecting' was used instead.
The episode of giving birth
Aired while real Lucy was in bed
With her new real son - ratings worth!

Most of America tuned in,
Causing the biggest ratings win.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Storm Watch - LP Zoo

A winter storm is on the way.
We camels humper down, we do,
To weather out the snowy day,
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
We've taken bets on how much snow
Is gonna fall on our world.
Surely Chicago winds will blow,
Sending our fur all awhirled.
A bunch of snow we have not had
For a couple of years or more.
So lots of snow does make us glad.
We can make snow angels galore.

No matter what, open will be
The Zoo, as usual for free.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Color Me Pink - LP Zoo

"Mom, when will I turn pink like you?"
A daughter asks her mother this,
Flamingos at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Still grayish white is the young miss.
The mother tells her daughter that,
"All in good time you'll change, my dear,"
"And soon throughout the habitat"
"All pink grown up you will appear."
The daughter trusts her mother, so
She knows that one day she will be
An all grown up pink flamingo,
No longer grayish white ugly.

The mother smiles when she does think
Of her own yearnings to be pink.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Ad Omission

Ram Trucks in a Super Bowl ad
Used a Martin Luther King speech
To sell its pickup trucks - egad!
King spoke to be of service each,
So Ram did ram the message that
Each Ram truck is too built to serve,
And good service is where it's at.
Ram certainly does have its nerve!
Ram either did not read in whole
The speech or chose to take the risk
That dummies watch the Super Bowl.
King criticized such ads - tsk tsk!

King also said ads went too far
Exploiting folks to buy a car.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Go Eagles - LP Zoo

This snowy owl did watch the game -
The Super Bowl the Eagles won.
No owls playing but just the same
Winning birds are better than none.
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,
Eagles are my neighbors next door,
And they did party the night through,
The feathers were flying galore.
Tomorrow they may call in sick,
But I will be here on the job.
To my schedule I like to stick,
For this owl that's wisdom agob.

Super Bowl Eagles - awesome fowl,
Take it from this wise Superb Owl!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Multitasking Moon

A super blue blood moon appeared
January 31st of
Twenty eighteen, and eyes were stared
To watch the busy moon above.
Called super cuz the moon was close
To Earth in orbit and so looked
Bigger to the eyes to engross.
The month's second full moon, so booked
As a blue moon though no blue hue.
Tinged with a blood color instead,
Cuz a lunar eclipse came due,
Blocked from the sun, the moon looked red.

Next day the moon was same ol' same,
No longer needing the long name.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Zebra Day '18 - LP Zoo

International Zebra Day
On January 31st,
Twenty eighteen - hip hip hooray.
With excitement the zebras burst.
Stripes do star in Lincoln Park Zoo,
As the zebras parade about,
Strutting their stuff, oh yes they do,
A wild celebration, no doubt.
As camera action does roll,
The zebras play it up for show,
Giving it all their heart and soul.
Tiz zebra show biz - doncha know!

Zebras are colorful, all right,
Celebrating in black and white.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

No Mates Nigel

A seabird came to Mana Isle.
"No Mates Nigel" he was nicknamed.
But Nigel, a nest did compile
For a bird and his wooing aimed
At winning her heart for five years.
Constantly he attended her
With grooming and other endears.
Ever a gentleman for  sure,
But she remained aloof and cold,
No matter how hard Nigel tried.
Still a love  story did unfold,
At least on Nigel's loving side.

Nigel was found dead just next to
The concrete bird he'd sought to woo.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

New Neighbor, Myles - LP Zoo

Hello, I'm Myles, how do you do!
I'm a De Brazza's monkey here,
New face at the Lincoln Park Zoo,
The Primate House - I do appear.
I am kind of a laid back guy,
Just like to relax and chill out,
Watching all of the world go by,
Being cool - that's what I'm about.
So far I'm liking my new place.
The neighbors all seem nice enough.
All in all it's a time and space
Where I can really strut my stuff.

An invitation that is mine,
Come by and watch this monkey shine.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Sahar is Eight - LP Zoo

Sahar turned eight years old today,
At home in the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Human made gifts were on display,
So Sahar did what lions do.
His common senses he did use,
First giving the gifts a look see,
Then sniffing the gifts for some clues,
Then hear for any sounds that be,
Then nibbling on the faux beast art,
All in all sensing good so far,
And then ripping the gifts apart,
A Happy 8th Birthday - Sahar!

Sahar - you're awesome and that's why
You truly are the main mane guy.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Wide Spread - LP Zoo

I like to spread my wings, I do,
And give the guests an awesome sight
To behold at Lincoln Park Zoo.
I hear the guests squeal with delight.
And when my wings be fully spread
In all of feathered glory be,
I stand before all in good stead,
Wowing the guests impressively.
Of course the guests then want to know
More about this super winged bird,
And to more info the guests go
To learn of me and spread the word.

I am a cinerous vulture,
And I am wing spreading culture.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

I Dig It - LP Zoo

I dig a lot every day,
Never knowing what I may find.
Tiz a favorite game to play,
Pitting matter over my mind.
Be it buried in big or small,
I dig to find whatever be.
Playing the game - I dig it all.
Digging to solve the mystery,
Digging for something yum to eat.
Nothing too small,nothing too big,
I dig the test to dig the treat.
Keep it up my keepers - I dig!

I dig it, this polar bears do.
I dig life at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Shed Some Light - LP Zoo

I look quite white in light I do,
That's the look of polar bear fur.
Look at me at Lincoln Park Zoo.
I do look white and that's for sure.
But actually each hair of mine
Is transparent and clear as glass.
Only because the light does shine,
Reflects the white color to pass.
Under the fur my skin is black.
Check out the bare spots  by my nose.
This fact oft takes humans aback.
Sometimes is not as a look shows.

Look at me when there is no light,
And find out if I'm black or white.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Seal Scented - LP Zoo

That is a smell I've smelled before.
My genetics do tell me that.
My kind do like that smell galore
In their natural habitat.
I've heard the keepers talk about
The seal pool being south of me,
And when the wind is right, no doubt,
In the air the seal smell does be.
But smell is all that I can do.
Seal smell will have to be enough.
Here at home at Lincoln Park Zoo
This polar bear eats other stuff.

If I ever see a real seal,
That will really be a big deal.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Buffy - LP Zoo

They do call me Buffy, they do.
I am not a vampire slayer.
I am known at Lincoln park Zoo
As the biggest bird egg layer.
Each egg I lay can be in size
Five inches long, six inches wide,
And can weigh thirty pounds - surprise!
This ostrich lays each egg with pride.
The keepers keep some eggs to be
Sold as a gift shop souvenir,
After egg contents are empty.
The shell has very hard veneer.

My bigly egg laying is fact,
Super awesome to be "eggs"act!

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Tiny

Tiny, a python, eight feet long
Was kept as a pet by a man.
Tiny with muscles very strong
Can squeeze to death in wrapping span.
Her owner was found dead one day.
After an autopsy was done,
Asphyxiation was death's way.
Tiny was suspect number one.
Tiny either became afraid,
Or the instinct to kill kicked in.
Either way, a big squeeze she made,
And her owner breathed not again.

Beware a python as a pet
When a squeezing is in mind set.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Heart Made - LP Zoo

There's always loving to be found,
Taking shape at Lincoln Park Zoo,
In time and place love does abound,
Ever to be enjoyed anew.
Two flamingos come face to face,
A close encounter of bird kind,
With heads and necks in artful grace,
Making a valentine designed
In a lovely orange pinkish frame,
The two flamingos pause to show
A visual of quick acclaim,
Before the two flamingos go.

Two flamingos make it to art,
Two flamingos take it to heart.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Royal Thief

Queen Mary, the grandmother of
Queen Elizabeth, was well known
As a visitor not above
Stealing and making stuff her own.
Oft unannounced, she would stop by
Before folks had a chance to hide
Stuff she might steal - no one knew why.
Folks yearned to stay on her good side.
In course, staff always went with her,
And tried to watch her very close,
Returning stolen stuff for sure,
With a "sorry" note not verbose.

Queen Mary's habit so routine,
She was known as the "klepto Queen."

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

One Last Prank

Phedre was Nigel's loving wife.
Phedre died in twenty thirteen.
One last reminder in her life -
Nigel should take care of the green,
The plants growing in their bathroom.
So for years after Nigel would
Faithfully water the potted bloom.
The plants looked healthy, all was good.
Phedre had always loved to play
Upon Nigel goodhearted jokes.
Nigel did discover one day
Phedre's reminder was a hoax.

It was to be Phedre's last trick.
The bathroom plants were all plastic.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

The Young and the Moody - LP Zoo

What's a gorilla girl to do
When she's feeling all alone
In the whole, big Lincoln Park Zoo.
I feel stuck in a lonesome zone.
I don't know why I feel this way.
All around are my family.
My sisters are busy at play.
Why don't they want to play with me?
I sense they sense I'm in a mood,
And so they give me lots of space,
And just leave me alone to brood
By myself in my pity place.

I know that I am feeling strange.
I'm hoping soon my mood will change.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Snow Monkey Matinee - LP Zoo

Hi tech at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
This snow monkey is much, much more
Than just a pretty face, I do
Touchscreen games with prizes to score.
The keeper keeps behind the screen,
And programs the puzzles to solve.
Then I touch choices 'twixt and 'tween,
And my brain power does evolve.
When I pick right, a treat pops out.
I take a snack break short and quick,
Then back to the game biz, no doubt,
To try for the next winning pick.

There is a morning matinee,
When you can come and watch me play.