Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Human Friendly - LP Zoo

A golden breasted starling, I

Do be in the Bird House, I do,

In the Free Flight zone on the fly

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

When human visitors I see

Come strolling through my habitat,

Being curious as I be,

I fly for a closer look at,

Not fearing humankind at all.

Very close by I choose to perch,

And chirp out a welcoming call,

While I do my human research.

Come visit me and you will find

Close encounter of a bird kind.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Tongue Greeting - LP Zoo

Solomon Islands skink, I do

Oft like to stick my tongue out at,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

The frogs sharing my habitat.

The frogs and I get along fine,

Staying out of each others' way,

They in their zone and me in mine,

Apart from each other we stay.

The frogs like the moist ground below.

I like to hang out on limbs up.

Our separate ways we go,

Making a good neighborhood - yup!

So when I stick my tongue out, I

Am just saying to the frogs, "Hi."

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Otaru Turns 5 - LP Zoo

Japanese macaque, Otaru,

Is turning five years old today

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

And she is partying away.

The keepers gave her a browse ball

With leafy green goodies inside.

Otaru needs the wherewithal

To extract and be gratified.

She holds the ball and studies it.

Especially the holes she eyes,

Discovering her fingers fit.

Five years old, this monkey is wise.

Happy Birthday Otaru girl,

As 'round goodies your fingers curl.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley, a black slave who

Published a book of poetry.

General Washington asked her to

Visit his Cambridge camp and she,

In seventeen seventy six,

Met with the future President,

A slave and owner intermix,

To hopefully set precedent.

The Revolutionary War -

Fighting for freedom did be won.

But slavery continued more

And a slave, Phillis still was one.

Famous for poetry she gave,

In time and place she stayed a slave.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Ramadan

The ninth month, Ramadan does be

The most sacred month of the year

Through Islam culture history,

A time all Muslims do hold dear.

The start and end determined by

Sighting of the new crescent moon

Appearing or deemed in the sky

By committee that does commune.

Muslims believe that long ago

During Ramadan was revealed

The Quran holy book to know

The word of Allah therein sealed.

It is a time for Muslims to

Grow in spirit and faith renew.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 About Face - LP Zoo

A white faced saki monkey who

Does not have much of a white face

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Lilo, a female, has in place

A white stripe on each side of her

Nose and running down to her chin.

When this monkey's name did occur

Long ago humans must have been

Having a male monkey in sight.

Females like Lilo don't much mind

Having a face with not much white,

Content enough with how designed.

So when you visit and you see

A white striped face - there Lilo be.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Storm Turns 14 - LP Zoo

Storm, the harbor seal, opts to do

A Happy Birthday bark to self

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo

While flipping onto a rock shelf,

To check out the keeper made scene

Of a fancy fish and squid cake

For Storm who has now turned fourteen.

He is quite anxious to partake

A time and place to celebrate.

The birthday boy in sight and sound

Deems his party to be top rate

With all the goodies he has found.

A Happy Birthday to you Storm.

You look and sound in perfect form.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Calamity Jane

Martha Jane Cannary became

A legend of the wild, wild west,

And is better known by the name,

Calamity Jane - she possessed

As daredevil who liked to court

Calamity for pay and fun,

Not a very lady like sort

When fighting foe with knife and gun.

As wild as Wild Bill Hickok who

She's rumored to have been his wife.

With a meat cleaver she did do 

Chop on McCall who took Bill's life.

Age 51 on a train ride,

She caught pneumonia and she died.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Bunnies on Easter - LP Zoo

Crescent and Pluto, bunnies two,

On Easter have a happy day

At Lincoln Park Farm in the Zoo,

In a sharing a hang out way.

Snuggled in a log they both be,

Nicely shaded from the bright sun,

Watching all the activity,

Each enjoying some quiet fun.

There is something to be said for

Having the good job that they share

Being rabbit ambassador,

Connecting with visitors there.

If you do happen to walk near,

One or both will wave a long ear.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Welcoming Spring - LP Zoo

Honor, the cow, gives a loud "moo"

To any and all who can hear

At Lincoln Park Farm in the Zoo.

It is a lovely day to cheer.

The joy of Spring is in the air.

Honor does find it all over,

Bringing a spring to her hoof there

On ground that feels like clover,

As about the barnyard she trots,

A re-energized dairy cow

Full of vim and vigor with lots

Of "moo"ving remarks here and now.

If you happen to be nearby,

You can hear Honor's Springtime "Hi."

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Scathach

Scathach, a Scottish warrior queen,

Of ancient ages long ago,

The Isle of Skye was her home scene.

From Dunscaith Castle she'd bestow

Teachings of martial arts combat

About warfare and sorcery.

Students came to her habitat

To learn from her in secrecy.

What happened to her is unknown.

She stays a shadow of mystique.

Yet her legend has only grown.

About her the locals still speak.

And many of the locals yearn

For future time when she'll return.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Empire Ruler

Britain's Queen Victoria be

Queen for a sixty four year reign,

Ending in nineteen oh one, she

Got a vast empire to maintain,

Covering a fifth of the Earth,

Diverse nations and peoples who

Gave England superpower worth,

As Her Majesty's presence grew.

She was a woman born to rule

As none had ever ruled before,

Her ways and means too often cruel -

Colonialization and war.

On the day that she did expire

Began the end of her empire.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Wait Hopefully - LP Zoo

A Puerto Rican parrot who

Is not in the Bird House to see

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

In Small Mammal, Reptile House be

Where my nest is currently at,

Covid closed to the public still,

It's been a lonely habitat.

Hopefully soon this House too will

Open back up and I once more

Will see coming front and behind

Lots of fine visitors galore.

I'll reconnect with humankind.

L look forward to the day when

You and I will connect again.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Easter Egg Hunt

Hunting for eggs at Easter be

Traced back to early Christian day

To symbolize the history

Of rebirth of Christ in a way.

Each egg represents Jesus' tomb

Which in the Bible had been sought,

When found was but an empty room,

Filling Christians with joy a lot.

A resurrection did occur.

The Son of God had risen to

Renew hope of Christians for sure,

And make a miracle come true.

On each Easter, each girl and boy

Can hunt an egg and feel the joy.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Birth of a New Sport

In Massachusetts, James Naesmith

At school in eighteen ninety one,

A  P.E. teacher, came up with

An indoor game for student fun.

A peach basket was hung at each

End of a large classroom and then,

Using a ball and not a peach,

Two teams competed to throw in

The basket, the ball - point to score.

It came to be a fav'rite game

When winter kept students indoor,

And soon spread to more schools in fame.

In winter time was heard the call,

"Good day to play some basketball."

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 A Singing Pair - LP Zoo

A red wolf and a black crow met

For a song 'twixt and 'tween the two,

And launched into a loud duet

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

The wolf did howl, the crow did caw,

A melody that filled the air

To captivate in shock and awe

The sound of music they did share.

Some listeners did record it,

Soon to be heard on radio,

Soon to become a top ten hit

From the fab two of wolf and crow.

Some country western, some rock and roll,

Their song also has some blues, some soul.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

 Shear Madness - LP Zoo

A Sichuan takin, I do

Be covered in a golden fur

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Keepers tell me the tale for sure

Of Jason and the Golden Fleece,

A treasure that made Jason, King.

I surely don't want to release

My fur coat for any such thing.

The keepers sometimes kid me that

Jason would like nothing more but

To come visit my habitat

With shears and give me a haircut.

So Jason, if you are out there,

I'm watching for you - so beware.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Chewing Machine - LP Zoo

This sloth is busy on a chew

Of a yummy celery stick

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Rather than slow I am quite quick.

I hold the stick of celery

Very firmly in my two toes.

Placing it where it needs to be,

And into my mouth the stick goes,

Where my teeth are ready to gnaw

At a very rapid chop pace,

Working kind of like a buzz saw,

As I go 'bout feeding my face.

I shift my teeth into high gears,

And the celery disappears.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Street Smart

Momma cat with a litter new

Of kittens became concerned that

They shared an illness - what to do,

All in a homeless habitat.

So Momma took them one by one

To a vet hospital nearby,

Somehow knowing aid would be done.

Sure enough it was worth her try.

Eye infections were diagnosed

In each of the kittens, and they

Got medicine properly dosed.

Soon all were in a healthy way.

And then adoptions came to be

For Momma and her family.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 The Starlings Dance

Thousands of starling birds in flight

Move in unison through the sky.

It is a mesmerizing sight,

And humans cannot explain why.

All in highly synchronized way,

Swirling and swooping together,

Perform elaborate ballet.

Awesome visual of feather,

Beating of iridescent wing

Creating such a rush of sound,

And called a murmuration thing

For a performance to astound.

In a shared split second notion,

So many starlings in motion.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Water Woo - LP Zoo

African penguins, he and she,

Both do go for a swim, they do.

A nice and sunny day it be

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Of course he wants to impress her,

Showing off his fine swimming skill.

Of course she doesn't seem that sure

That he's that great, but she keeps still,

And lets him do his macho thing,

Zigging and zagging to and fro.

It is a time and place in Spring

For courtship goings on to show.

Is it enough performing art

To let him maybe win her heart?

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Big Bucks Tweet

"Just setting up my twttr" be

The first tweet in two thousand six,

Sent by CEO Jack Dorsey,

An act that surely did transfix

Media on the planet Earth.

A nonfungible token or

An NFT for short well worth,

As this tweet recently sold for

Two point nine million bucks in bid.

A great investment be this tweet,

Just twenty characters it did

Give new meaning to short and sweet.

And a worthwhile message was sent,

To charity the proceeds went.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Filibuster

"Filibuster," a word that is

Derived primarily from Dutch,

Meaning a pirate in the biz

Of robbing and looting and such.

We hear the word in politics

When politicians seek to try,

Using a talking bag of tricks,

To stop a bill from getting by.

Politicians keep talking so

The legislation gets stuck there,

While speeches continue to flow

With filibustering hot air.

Politicians pirate away

Time and money - their games to play.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

 Like Mom, Like Son

Agrippina, Roman Empress,

By marriage to Claudius who

By flirtation she did impress.

By strategy her power grew.

From a previous marriage, she

Brought her son, Nero, to the throne.

She poisoned Claudius and he

Died, but she could not rule alone.

She maneuvered Nero, her son,

Into the open ruler spot,

Thinking she still would be the one

Really in power as she'd sought.

Nero had other plans for sure,

And had his servants murder her.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Name Change

Maewyn Succat in Britain be,

Born of family well to do

About year 390 A.D.

At age 16, an Irish crew

Kidnapped the young man and took him

To Ireland to become a slave.

He tended sheep for 6 years grim,

But then found God his soul to save.

Back to England he did escape,

Became a priest as he did yearn.

The rest of his life did take shape -

Back to Ireland he did return.

Now called Patrick, he would acquaint

Irish with God, becoming Saint.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Tongue Tied - LP Zoo

Somewhat tongue tied do be the two

Youngster giraffes, Finely and Rae,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

As they tongue each other in play.

A chilly day, both are inside,

A time and place for him and her

To find themselves getting tongue tied,

Teasing one another for sure.

Each with an over foot long tongue

To let fly forth in time and place.

In antics both the twosome young

Tongue out each other face to face.

The giraffe pair have lots of fun,

With tongue fro"licking" one on one.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 On Scene Unseen

I am a jaguar and do be

An elusive creature so that

I can maintain my privacy

As I patrol my habitat.

I know the humans are a kind

That likes to think they can and should

Be intrusive and never mind

Whether or not I think that's good.

All of my life I've known that I

Need to avoid humans who do

Come to my habitat and try

To get a glimpse of you know who.

As I do venture forth and back,

Most humans only see my track.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Masked Hatred

KKK, short for Ku Klux Klan,

An American white hate cult

From end of Civil War time span

To try to bring about result

Of the white race supremacy,

Using terrorism to do

Horrible deeds in secrecy.

Cloaked in white sheets with masks meant to

Keep privacy in public sight,

While committing atrocious act,

With wrong done in the name of right -

But common criminals in fact.

Hate has easier time and place

When fomented behind masked face.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Playing Solitary - LP Zoo

A young gorilla boy, I do

Like to pass lots of time away,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Finding fun stuff with which to play.

A small stick with some leaves I found

Just waiting for me to find there,

Beckoning to me on the ground.

I grab and wave it in the air.

Then quickly with no time to waste

All of my senses I employ.

I do see, hear, smell, touch and taste -

A curious gorilla boy.

When I have sensed the stick enough,

I go looking for other stuff.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Sounding Off for Love - LP Zoo

An Anthony's poison dart frog,

A looking for love guy, I do

A courtship calling monologue

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

I take in a big breath of air.

My throat blows up like a balloon.

A long, loud, high pitched tone I share

That I'm available, in tune,

To the frog ladies one and all.

I let my love searching be known,

Hoping Miss Right will heed my call,

Attracted by my macho tone.

My sounds of music resonate

To overwhelm my future mate.