Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 A Quick Dipper - LP Zoo

This African penguin does do

A refreshing dip in the pool

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

I'm a water loving bird who'll

Take any opportunity

To show the human viewers that

An awesome swimmer I do be

When in my water habitat.

In the water my wings do act

Like flipper propellers and so

Underwater I am in fact

In motion a bird torpedo.

In the water when I swim by

I'll look for you and wave a "Hi."

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Welcome Back - LP Zoo

A welcome back and "Howdy Do,"

From nicobar pigeon bird speak,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Expressed from my very own beak.

Now open to the public is

The Bird House, closed over a year

For Covid, again shows bird biz.

And me and all the birds, yes we're

Happy to greet you folks once more,

Watching us fly, hearing us sing,

Connecting with you like before,

Close - nose to beak and arm to wing.

So stop on by and visit soon.

We'll share some pretty and some tune.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Daydreaming Ruka - LP Zoo

I'm a colobus monkey who

Likes to daydream of this and that

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Hanging out in my habitat.

I find a hammock where I can

Be all by myself for a while,

Uninterrupted in my plan

To daydream away in high style. 

I lay myself down, all stretched out,

Prepared to dream away the day,

A blissful solitude no doubt,

Left alone to daydream away.

Never too long daydreaming be.

My sisters come and bother me.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

 Misperception

Australian male jewel beetles do

Get supernormal drives to mate.

Humans spied a bunch of them who

Got male crazy to copulate.

Apparently the bunch was sure

They'd found a giant female that,

On the side of a road, gave her

Signal to the guys to come at

A close encounter one and all.

And so the male beetles did climb

On her, answering instinct's call,

Looking forward to a good time.

A discarded beer bottle be

Thought by the hims to be a she!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 National Napping Day '21 - LP Zoo

It is National Napping Day.

What do the Asian otters do?

Both take a nap, Gasby and Phraay,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

They must have heard the keepers talk

That the purpose of this day is

To take some time off of the clock,

And do a stretch of napping biz.

And so the otters curl up on

Their log in close proximity,

And share a nap phenomenon,

Both taking it quite otterly.

March 15th, twenty twenty one -

This day to nap otter be done.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Twofer - Mom and Mondika - LP Zoo

Mom and Mondika - pictures two

Of the gorillas showing that,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

The same place in the habitat.

One of the pictures taken when

Mondika was a few months old.

The second picture taken then

After a full year did unfold.

And Mom looks the same - no surprise,

But Mondika is growing up

Quickly and has doubled in size,

A bigger bundle of joy - yup!

Mom seems to take it all in stride,

Watching her growing boy with pride.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Changing Scene Seen - LP Zoo

A spectacled caiman, I do

Make a spectacle of myself,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Out sun lounging on a rock shelf.

I'm named for the bony ridge that

Does sit above my pair of eyes

Like I am wearing glasses at

Whatever I may analyze.

Being a reptile I oft seek

Places where I can absorb heat.

And not minding when humans peek

I just ignore and do not greet.

On land or in water I be,

And I see you when you see me.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Kwan Turns Thirty Two - LP Zoo

Big Daddy Kwan turns thirty two,

Patriarch of his family.

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo

A great gorilla Dad he be.

He celebrates his birthday by

Spending some time with his two boys,

Some shared moments that are all guy

With these two youngsters Kwan enjoys.

Some gentle wrestling 'twixt and 'tween,

A tickle here, a tickle there,

It is a Happy Birthday scene

Watching Dad play with his young pair.

Happy Birthday Big Daddy Kwan,

With lots of happy goings on.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Molly Pitcher

"Molly Pitcher," a nickname for

American women who fought

The Revolutionary War

For freedom the colonists sought.

A composite for women real

Who on the battlefield did go

With determination that she'll

Be part of history also.

Many were ammunition wives

Who did help their husbands until

Battles did take their husbands' lives.

Molly kept firing that gun still.

A grateful nation thanks them all -

Molly Pitchers heeding the call.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Wisdom Turns Seventy

Wisdom, the albatross, does be

The oldest wild bird known on Earth.

She recently turned seventy,

Decades of human studied worth.

At Midway Atoll Refuge is

The home where Wisdom does reside,

Doing mating and hatching biz,

Going strong with instinctive pride.

Millions of miles Wisdom has flown,

The long serving queen of the skies.

And studying her, much is known,

Making humans a lot more wise.

Happy Birthday to Wisdom who

Still does what she was hatched to do.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Snow Angeling Ricko - LP Zoo

Ricko, rhino, decides to do

A romp in the piles of snow that,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Cover his outside habitat.

Ricko seems to not get enough

Of taking opportunity

Of getting close to the white stuff.

On a mission he seems to be.

Over two thousand pounds, he makes

His own snow angels on grand scale,

Leaving body prints as he takes

His awesome romp with wagging tail.

A rockin' and rollin' in snow,

Big Ricko puts on quite a show.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Snow Moseying - LP Zoo

Mosi is one gorilla who

Does like to mosey in the snow

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Through the foot deep piles he does go,

Making his way around the yard,

Where the going gets to be tough,

Making a walk through very hard,

Maneuvering through the white stuff.

But Mosi does not mind at all.

This is his mission for the day -

Answer Chicago winter's call,

A walk on the wild side his way.

Leaving big footprints in the white

Fills the teenager with delight.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Bella Turns Six - LP Zoo

Gorilla, Bella, ponders that

She do be six years old, she do,

Growing up in her habitat

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

She remembers the good old days

When she was just but a mere tot,

Filling her time with romping plays

And bothering adults a lot.

But now approaching adulthood,

She ponders whether or not she

Should act more like an adult should,

Since six years old she now does be.

Bella, have a Happy Birthday,

And keep on with your romping play.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Victoria Crowned Pigeon - LP Zoo

Victoria crowned pigeon, I

Am a Bird House addition new,

And I'm quite a good looking guy

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

The largest of the pigeon kind

We're up to thirty inches long.

Bluish gray feathered we're designed,

And call out with a whooping song.

Native to New Guinea we be

Ground dwelling and in food pursuit,

In pairs on forest floors where we

Do walk in search of fallen fruit.

I am easy to spot no doubt.

My feather crested head stands out.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Early Bird Babs - LP Zoo

Babs is a tawny frogmouth who

Is an early bird waiting for,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

A keeper served up worm to score.

Babs knows it's breakfast time and so

She's been waiting impatiently

For the keeper with worm to show.

Where the heck does the keeper be!

Babs knows she's the earliest bird

This morning to be up and out.

But no worm presence has occurred.

The keeper's very late no doubt.

Bab's annoyed expression says that,

"Hey keeper, where is my worm at?"

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 I Have A Vision - LP Zoo

A pygmy slow loris, I do

Have a pair of big brown eyes that,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Look for food in my habitat.

A nocturnal hunter, I need

My awesome pair of eyes to find,

With my night vision, food indeed.

In the dark, my eyes are designed

With very sharp depth perception

To quickly focus right in on

The food and get the job well done,

An insightful phenomenon.

Food finding for my benefit -

I'm confident the eyes have it.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Kijiko - LP Zoo

A new name has been given to

The recently hatched spoonbill chick

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

The general public got to pick.

Votes tallied and the winner be

Kijiko as the favored name,

Swahili word translatedly

Meaning "spoon" as English word same.

The spoonbill chick is still too young

To appreciate fully that

Kijiko called from human tongue

Calls to him in his habitat.

Welcome Kijiko, new spoonbill,

Shared good times ahead to fulfill.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Perfect Launch - LP Zoo

Launch ready, polar bear, Siku,

Stands above the welcoming pool

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

He is confident he's one who'll

Soon dive from the snow covered rock,

Making a big splash down below.

A thousand pounds of awe and shock,

Into the water he will go.

Siku has picked his time and place

To display his fine diving skill

With his usual moving grace,

His next dive challenge to fulfill.

Launched up and out as is his norm,

Siku does dive in perfect form.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Sister Bowl Act - LP Zoo

Busy do be the meerkats, two

Young sisters in a bowl do be

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

In a kicking and digging spree.

The bowl is filled with filler that

Conceals goodies therein to find.

So the sisters are busy at

Bowl burrowing, both intertwined,

Going in circles round and round

On a mission to find the treat,

Not giving up till each has found

Buried treasure - something to eat!

Together - body, mind and soul,

The meerkat sisters search the bowl.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Share Some Sunshine - LP Zoo

Mom and her year old little one,

Both Japanese snow monkeys do

Take some time to soak in the sun

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Chicago February's brought

To their delight a bunch of snow,

Giving the snow monkeys a lot

Of happy snow days, doncha know!

But all the snow is melting fast

With warming up days and sunshine.

Snow days will soon be in the past.

The snow monkeys will face this fine.

There is no sunburn on Mom's head.

Her face is naturally red.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Dip Do or Don't - LP Zoo

Warm dip - to do or not to do

In my snow monkey habitat

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

On this cold day I'm thinking that

A hot springs bath would be quite nice

To make me feel toasty and warm,

A change from all the snow and ice.

A quick pool dip could do no harm.

I watch steam as it rises from

The water pool beckoning me

To make a decision to come

In the water for a warm spree.

Around the pool I take a trip -

To do or not to do a dip!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Hope to See You Soon - LP Zoo

I am Lucia, spoonbill chick,

And look forward to seeing you.

I am growing up very quick

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Hopefully soon where I am at

In house at African Journey

Again will be a habitat

Reopened to the public be,

As the threat of Covid 19

Is less and less for humankind,

With more and more of the vaccine

Bringing hope to body and mind.

I look forward to time and place

When we can first come face to face.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Perseverance

With Perseverance, Earthlings be

Landed upon Mars to check out

If long ago life possibly

Could have lived here or thereabout.

With robotics and humanless

Perseverance will rove around

With lots of scientificness,

Testing the atmosphere and ground.

Did the Red Planet long ago

Be such that maybe life could live?

Inquiring minds do want to know

What secrets Mars perhaps will give.

Mars ancient life - sometime, someplace?

From Earth, "Percy's" now on the case.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Snowing Indoors - LP Zoo

Asian otters, Gasby and Phraay,

Do get a taste of snow, they do.

With falling snow they're quick to play

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

The otters dwell inside, and so

The weather's snowless where they're at.

A keeper brings some outside snow

And sprinkles on the habitat.

The Asian otters quickly sense

That something dif'rent's going on,

And give attention quite intense

To this falling phenomenon.

Gasby and Phraay share in delight

This strange new stuff that's cold and white.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

 Woke Up Luigi - LP Zoo

Sloth Luigi awakens to

A keeper knocking on his box

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

The suddenness of  the noise shocks

Luigi from his slumber fine,

Wondering what the bother's 'bout,

Better be time for him to dine.

So Luigi slowly peeks out

Of his slumber box looking 'round,

And spots the keeper standing there,

Who notes Luigi has been found

In woke up state of raising hair.

Luigi in a cute, good way

Shows he's having a bad hair day.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Old DNA

My million year old DNA

Now is in twenty twenty one

Being studied in modern way,

And my story has just begun.

The DNA does come from teeth

Of mine found in the buried cold.

What of my secrets lie beneath

To be revealed anew from old?

From my teeth, humans hope to solve

Long unanswered questions of why

My species did cease to evolve.

Perhaps in vain I did not die.

My DNA, a study be

Of wild and wooly mammoth - me!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Another Storm Day - LP Zoo

Harbor seal, Storm, flips up onto

A rock covered with lots of snow,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

To discover heart shaped jello.

The Valentine's Day treats are from

Storm's keepers to assure him of

Their attention to him does come

From the heart in their caring love.

For Storm this comes as no surprise.

Each and ev'ry day does reveal

Keeper conduct that typifies

Devotion to this harbor seal.

This Valentine's Day be for Storm

Another love filled day as norm.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Celebrating Pair - LP Zoo

Cinereous vultures, her and him,

Do some loving, the couple do,

A cute couple, Linda and Grimm,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

They nuzzle up close together,

A loving message to impart,

Beak to beak, feather to feather,

Body to body, heart to heart.

It is a sharing moment that

Is expressed by the two big birds,

As they're seen in their habitat,

More to the point than just mere words.

Celebrating Valentine's Day,

Linda and Grimm do show the way.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Keeper Up the Treats - LP Zoo

We seals enjoy a treat, we do,

Jello chunks in a tub of ice

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

The keepers are so awesome nice.

The treat is on a rock so that

All we have to do is swim up

From our big pool habitat,

And grab the jello takeout - yup!

The keepers keep us well in mind

With their clever enrichment deals.

We never know what we may find

Next awaiting us lucky seals.

A few chilled whiskers are all right

Digging in for this iced delight.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Snow Filled Delight - LP Zoo

We giraffes, a party of two,

Did not have to travel too far

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo

To enjoy a snow salad bar.

The keepers brought a pile of snow

Mixed with yummies we like to eat,

And spread it out for us to show

A display of smorgasbord treat.

And so each of us took turns at

Taking munchies from the snow pile,

In our inside habitat,

In chill filled delight all the while.

Our keepers do get from us

A well done job grade of A plus.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Love Sounds - LP Zoo

Cheyenne and Jethro, a pair of

European white storks each who

Engage in a courtship of love

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

With head thrown back each big bird be

Synchronizing to make each beak

Open and close quite rapidly

To create a clattering speak,

Throat amplified in loud love sound.

A monogamous species, they

Daily voice love that does abound.

Each day is a Valentine's Day.

At the Zoo all can surely hear

Cheyenne and Jethro, loud and clear.