Sense Sonnet - Pumper

The Piggy Show - LP Zoo

That little piggy, he did this,
This little piggy, she did that,
These little piggies, bro or sis,
Exploring all their habitat.
They come upon a ball like thing,
Bright red with holes into inside
With some piggy treats forthcoming,
If some joint effort is applied.
And so the piggies rock and roll
And with their noses and tongues do
Together accomplish their goal
At Lincoln Park Farm in the Zoo.

Come watch the piggies as they grow,
Always putting on a great show.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Tails of Three Sisters - LP Zoo

Three colobus monkeys do do
A still black and white sister act
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,
Rare resting for the trio pact,
Who normally are all at play,
Swinging about the habitat,
Interacting throughout the day.
Girls will be girls wherever at,
Being teasers as sisters will,
Move back and forth and up and down,
Then take a short time out to chill,
And while at rest each seems to frown.

The sisters' rest does not last long,
And soon they all are playing strong.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Water Me Lots - LP Zoo

As a pygmy hippo I do
Not be out of water a lot
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
I'm better in water than not.
I have very delicate skin
That needs a lot of hydration
Given by water when I'm in,
Plus water is a lot of fun.
My eyes and ears and nose are such
That underwater I can sense
What's going on around me, much
Like a keep secret consequence.

When out of water I do be,
Happens but is a rarity.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman born a slave,
As an adult she yearned to be
Free and she fled North and then gave
Other slaves the way to go free,
Using the Underground Railroad.
She was nicknamed Moses and led
The slaves from South to North and showed
The faith and will to go ahead.
Each time she made the trip, she knew
She could be captured, but for her
Freedom's work she needed to do,
And she did it quite well for sure.

Harriet Tubman in her day
Found her freedom and led the way.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Bird of Color - LP Zoo

A golden breasted starling, I
Be a multi colored bird who
Is appealing to human eye
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
A brilliant golden breast I bear
With a bright emerald green head.
Violet shine on throat I wear,
And metallic blue wings aspread..
Both he and she are colored so.
In Africa are found my kind.
Colorful through the skies we go,
A sight quite artfully designed.

Even our eggs are like art,
On pale green, red dots set apart.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

First Pumpkin - LP Zoo

In the yard I see something new
This young rhino's not seen before,
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,
A big round ball all orange galore.
Mom says it's called a pumpkin and
Comes around this time of the year.
Just why, Mom does not understand.
I check it out since it is here.
I look, I lick, I touch, I sniff.
I do not want to act too brash.
Just a matter of when, not if,
This pumpkin I am gonna smash.

I watch the visitors watching me,
Waiting for smashing soon to be.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Canada Thanksgiving

Canada has Thanksgiving too,
Each October second Monday.
English and French traditions do
Exist and each come into play.
The year 1578
English arrived in the far north.
Beef and biscuits and peas they ate,
Gave thanks to God for going forth.
And in the year 1616
In what is Nova Scotia now
Some French settlers did convene
With natives for some feastful chow.

Canada's Thanksgivings's more subdued,
Not all the shopping attitude.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Barbarossa

Barbarossa, Redbeard, became,
During the 16th century,
A navy admiral of fame
For the Ottoman empire be.
Mediterranean sea did
Be where Barbarossa would sail,
Winning naval battles amid
So many wars that did prevail.
To Istanbul he did retire,
Upon death was buried seaside
To watch sail forth - his last desire
The battleships, his greatest pride.

Even today Turkish ships shoot
A cannon for him in tribute.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Ciclids on View - LP Zoo

A ciclid fish just swimming through
The huge and water filled fish tank
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
This is a fine fish habitat.
I see the humans just outside,
Just beyond the fiberglass wall,
Watching all of us fish eyed.
It is a watchful time for all.
We fish are at the very end
Of indoor African Journey,
Where visitors do pause and tend
To take a break so peacefully.

A time and place so sereneish,
So stop by and check out us fish.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Bold and Hard - LP Zoo

Now that I'm over six years old
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo
This eastern box turtle is bold,
Out and about a lot I do.
Up until my sixth year or so
I was hiding most of the time.
Deep into dark places I'd go
With no desire to rise and climb.
Then in my sixth year I did feel
The urge to go out and about,
Really changed my life a great deal.
Something happened to me no doubt.

After my sixth year I could tell
It went from soft to hard - my shell.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Rae and Finely - LP Zoo

Three year old Finely's happy that
Two year old Rae has come to be
Here in the giraffe habitat.
Finely is he and Rae is she,
And the two are getting along
As companions for good and well,
With bonds hopefully growing strong
As their time together will tell.
So how to tell the two apart?
Dark brown markings on Finely's brow
And light tan on Rae's - facial art
Is the quickest way to tell how.

Come and check out this tallsome two
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Bat Month '19 - LP Zoo

Tiz the season to be a bat.
October be bat month I hear.
I hang out in my habitat,
Welcoming humans coming near.
We bats are not the scary things
That dominate the vampire scene.
We are only mammals with wings
Having good fun on Halloween.
I love to watch human kids come
Visit me in their costumes cute,
And even dressed as bats are some
In their trick or treating pursuit.

I do like Halloween, I do
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Bear Patiently - LP Zoo

Sometimes the polar bear, Siku,
Needs to have a blood sample drawn
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
So Siku has been called upon
To give blood voluntarily.
Keepers trained him to reassure,
And thus he does not need to be
Put under for the procedure.
Siku extends his paw so that
Blood can be drawn and without stress
On Siku in his habitat.
Siku's a patient patient - yes!

And keeping Siku happyish -
During the draw a lot of fish.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Day Job - LP Zoo

An Egyptian fruit bat I do
Hang out a lot during the day
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
I'm hard to see while on display.
My habitat is dark and so
Visitors have to look a while
Before my hanging bod does show,
And I appear in eerie style.
At night is when I fly around.
There are no visitors then here.
During the day I can be found
But cannot be seen very clear.

The light went on, the light went out
For a good peek at me no doubt.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

Hair Scare - LP Zoo

Be.You.Tiful Hair Salon be
A Long Island, New York biz that
Fixes hair quite beautifully
In a relaxing habitat.
So quite a commotion occurred
When a deer through a window came,
And around the salon flew furred,
With potential to badly maim.
Then back through the window the deer
Left the salon in quite a mess,
And down the street did disappear,
Leaving the humans in great stress.

With wildlife time and place we share,
Even a time and place for hair.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Peaceful Protester

Mahatma Gandhi came to be
In the 1900's a man
Who worked to make India free
From Great Britain's vast empire span.
Satyagraha was his way
To resist with non violence
Over decades until the day
Of India's independence.
Before that day did come he died,
Assassinated as he led,
With freedom marching at his side,
Continuing though he was dead.

Mahatma Gandhi came to do
The making of a dream come true.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Keep My Secret - LP Zoo

This chimp does grab some eats I do,
And runs outside to find a place
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,
Where I can munch at my own pace.
I find a tree to hide behind
Where none of the other chimps will
Know where I am at or will find
Me while my tummy I do fill.
I must be very quiet so
The other chimps do not hear me
Munching loudly, cuz then they'll know
The exact spot that I do be.

I see you from my habitat.
Don't tell the chimps where I am at.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Bad Day for Caspar

Caspar the camel was inside
His No Trespassing habitat,
When a human gal did decide
To trespass where Caspar was at.
So Caspar did sit upon her,
Because she dared be in his yard.
The human gal was scared for sure,
And bit Caspar's testicle hard.
Caspar let the human gal up,
And the police took her away.
Caspar got shots and a big cup.
It was not the camel's best day.

It happened on a Wednesday and
Not the hump day Caspar had planned.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Pig with Tool

Tool use is considered to be
Primarily a human trait
Allowing creativity
And deemable as being great.
The Visayan warty pig is
Now being added to the list
Of those in the tool using biz,
And knowing that the tools assist.
The female pig does use a stick
To help dig up the ground so that
She is able to do more quick
A better nesting habitat.

To think only humans use tools
Shows how some humans think like fools.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Croak and Croak

At the pond the male frogs do sing,
Competing for the females that
In the nighttime are listening
In the watery habitat.
But others are listening too,
Honing in on the croaking sounds.
Some bats are flying in to do
Supper where entrees do abound.
And soon some croaking male frogs be
Jerked from the pond and sing no more,
Swallowed into a bat belly.
Frogs lose, bats win - the final score.

Maybe the male frogs should try out
Quiet wooing - safer no doubt.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Neighborhood Inspect - LP Zoo

A spectacled caiman I be
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,
A crocodilian specie,
Watching very closely I do.
I'm watching two iguanas that
Have newly moved across the way.
I can see from my habitat
These lounging lizards came to stay.
I only hope that they will not
Be noisy neighbors cuz there is
Nearby parrots making a lot
Of noise, disrupting my calm biz.

When the stress from the noise does show,
Then underwater I do go.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

Do Not Buy Me - LP Zoo

A Bali myna bird I be
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
In the Bird House come and see me
With white plumage and patch of blue
Found surrounding each of my eyes.
I weigh about three ounces and
About ten inches length in size,
A bird of beauty oh so grand.
The beauty of my kind has made
Us vulnerable to human greed,
Selling us in the cage bird trade.
Protecting us - there is great need.

You can help save us from this threat,
And never buy us as a pet.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

Sahar R.I.P. - LP Zoo

Sahar, beloved lion, lived years
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.
Redo of the Lion House nears,
And so Sahar was transferred to
Rolling Hills Zoo in Kansas where
Sadly Sahar did pass away.
At nine years old Sahar did share
A special bond day after day
With all the visitors who came
To see Sahar from near and far,
And called greetings to him by name.
Thanks for the memories, Sahar.

Life of Sahar we celebrate,
Life of our Lion King great.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

World Gorilla Day '19 - LP Zoo

World Gorilla Day is each year
On September 24th - true.
Mondika and his Mom do cheer
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo
For the day in twenty nineteen.
Mondika who is four months old,
First time celebrant on the scene,
Snuggled closely in Mom's warm hold,
Watching visitors come and go.
It is a bright and sunny day.
Mondika's expression does show -
"Hey Mom can I go out and play?"

Happy World Gorilla Day for
Mondika and Mom - many more.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Stripeless

Most zebras have stripes black and white,
But ev'ry now and then there be
A zebra that does not look right -
Is altered genetically.
"Pseudomelanism" is where
There's skin cell manifestation
Causing no stripes upon the hair.
This is a rare phenomenon.
Though looking odd the zebra is
Still accepted into the herd,
And goes about all zebra biz
Even though it's not stripely furred.

Often such a zebra has lots
Of black fur with white polka dots.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

World Rhino Day '19 - LP Zoo

This is my first World Rhino Day
Since being born four months ago.
"Romeo" I hear my Mom say,
"A time to celebrate - let's go."
So out into the yard I went
To say hello to all who came
To help celebrate the event.
Many times I did hear my name.
Humans are anxious to see me.
I am not sure the reason why.
My Mom just says that I do be
Such a cute little rhino guy.

World Rhino Day - good time to do
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Face of Mondika - LP Zoo

What does cutie Mondika do?
He makes the Facebook cover page
On the site of Lincoln Park Zoo,
And at only four months of age.
This young gorilla boy now is
Already an established star
In the social media biz
Where so many of new fans are.
He's posing in his Momma's arms,
Gazing wistfully at us all,
In full display his boyish charms,
A picture perfect to enthrall.

Congrats to you Mondika boy,
Your face on Facebook to enjoy.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

From Milk to Hay - LP Zoo

This rhino four months old I do
Be gaining confidence galore
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo
And going outside more and more.
I still like Mom to be around,
But do some exploring alone,
Checking out all the sight and sound -
Taking time to be on my own.
I am changing my diet from
Mom's milk to eating grown up way,
As the keepers keep bringing some
Grown up food in the form of hay.

So many new things to enjoy
For this curious growing boy.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Holy Grail

The legend of the Holy Grail
Has lasted through the centuries.
Is it a fact or fiction tale?
Jesus at the last supper, he's
Using the cup to hold his wine.
With his twelve disciples the last
Time he will be with them to dine.
Upon the cross he'll soon be cast,
And on the cross his blood does spill.
To the cross is taken the cup.
Joseph the disciple does fill
The cup, soaking Jesus' blood up.

This cup thereafter disappeared.
The lost Holy Grail perservered.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Pope Joan

The legend is that a Pope John
Ruled in 855 A.D.
While a procession did go on,
Pope John gave birth to a baby.
So Pope John did become Pope Joan.
She had been posing as a male,
And rose through Church ranks on her own,
Keeping a secret - one detail.
Two years later Pope Joan did die,
Maybe by murder, maybe not.
The Church hushed up the great outcry,
Calling it all a made up plot.

It is said that the baby son
Became a priest and not a nun.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

Re Tern to Training - LP Zoo

We Inca terns are quite used to
Getting training for this and that
Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo
In our Bird House habitat.
A training marker station is
Where the keepers want us to go,
And they make it worth our biz
With tasty meal worms that they throw.
What is the training you may ask?
We trust the keepers that it's for
A beneficial health check task,
And so we do the training chore.

We Inca terns know each health check
Means some meal worms so what the heck!