Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Abra on the Run - LP Zoo

Around her habitat she flew.

Abra, the young zebra, can move

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo

When she gets in her running groove.

Up to 40 miles per hour

She can gallop when at full speed,

Demonstrating zebra power

When she decides there is a need.

She likes running zigs and zags,

Her black and white stripes in a blur.

She knows she's fast but rarely brags.

The run's what's important to her.

When Abra's looking for some fun,

Most likely she will choose to run.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Chuting Hair - LP Zoo

Colobus monkeys love to do

A lot of leaping through the air

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

And do so with a special flair.

Their white furred mantles and tails be

Thick and long enough to fluff out-

A parachute on each monkey,

A natural floater no doubt.

While leaping through the habitat,

Swirling flows of white oft be seen

Helping to guide the acrobat

From limb to limb through space between.

Colobus monkeys, to and fro,

Put on a parachuting show.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 A Fish Named Su

Two rivers in Roscoe, New York,

Willowemoc and Beaverkill,

Converge together in a fork

Called Junction Pool where there be still

The tale of a two headed trout

Named Su who grew a second head

While deciding which river route

To take but could not, so instead

Stayed in the Junction Pool to be

Hooked in one head, but by design

Has avoided captivity.

The other head does bite the line.

The tale is told still to this day -

Two headed trout that got away.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Gone Fishing - LP Zoo

"Gone Fishing" - the meerkat gals do

Some cricket fishing in a bowl,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Into it body, mind and soul.

Mom and her two daughters go at

The mission with a bunch of zest.

Who's champion of the habitat?

Which fishermeerkat comes in best?

There is lots of excitement here

As the threesome a fishing go.

As the crickets do disappear

The meerkats put on quite a show.

The champion of the day does be

Mom meerkat - more experienced she.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Pro Zoo Admits some Cons

I think that well run zoos do be

A conservation positive.

In balance I argue with me,

Animals in the wild should live.

Captive beasts oft be bored and stressed

And exploited when on display.

Even when human care is best,

Animal freedom's gone away.

Generational bonds are gone

When animals move between zoos.

Overpopulation goes on

With breeding incentives some use.

To be or not to be a zoo,

All depends on what humans do.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Prehensile Tailed Porcupine - LP Zoo

This prehensile  tailed porcupine

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo

Is named for my tail with design

As a fifth limb helping me to

Maneuver my way through the trees.

I depend on my tail a lot

For a better balance with ease

When on the move or in one spot.

Being nocturnal I do tend

To be in the dark when I move,

And in the shadows I do blend

As I am in my active groove.

Do come and watch me move with skill

From place to place with rustling quill.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 The Comfort of Bees

The flowers are the "ears" of plants,

Listening for the buzz of bees.

The plants take comfort in the chance

Of increased opportunities

That one or more of the bees might

Sense the plant flowers and decide

To make a change in path of flight

For the nectar that plants provide.

The plants give nectar in return

For the bees taking pollen to

Carry away in their sojourn

To other plants to help renew.

Always listening, the plant does

Anticipate sound of bees' buzz.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Sew in Doubt

The first flag of the U.S.A.

Did or did not Betsy Ross sew?

Lots of history books do say

Powers that be gave her the go

Ahead to sew that first flag, but

Now some historians maintain

Ross supporters took a short cut

And let the urban legend gain

A foothold in the public mind

Without firm proving evidence.

Paintings and p.r. were behind

Giving Betsy such prominence.

Will Betsy Ross be cancelled out,

Her contribution now in doubt?

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Saved from Myself

'Twas after midnight when this drunk

Chose to depart Chicago town

With my sad, trashed life being sunk

In Lake Michigan to go down,

Ending the life I'd let become

Ruined by bad choices I'd made.

I sought an easy escape from

Habits that now heavily weighed

Upon my wretched state of mind.

I jumped into the waters deep,

And prayed to God to help me find

Salvation before final sleep.

A loving God did hear my plea

And sent some strangers to save me.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Indie Turns 23 - LP Zoo

Happy Birthday Indie to you.

A camel girl turns 23

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Hoping your day goes humpfully.

Special enrichment keepers will

Give to you to remind you that

You've got some birthday hooves to fill

As you move through your habitat.

Celebrating with one and all,

Another milestone you have made.

Time for another curtain call,

Another birthday accolade.

You are a sweet one, Indie girl.

Be on a Happy Birthday whirl.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Justifiable Censorship

Justifiable censorship

Is when I deem it justified,

Something I see or hear from lip

Offensive to my judging side.

What a much better world would be

If I were made censor in chief,

Deciding what to hear and see,

Imposing on all my belief.

Of course I would be just and fair

In all decisions that I made.

The world should know that I do care

Doing this self righteous crusade.

But if I be the censored one,

Then censorship should not be done.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Land of the Unfree

The twenty twenties will be known

As the decade powers that be

Established a no free speech zone -

Put a muzzle on you and me.

Our freedom to speak and write

Will be censored by the "police."

Even our family might

Snitch about us to make us cease

To talk and write "offending" stuff.

We the People have let be wrought

A culture that can't get enough

Correcting expressed "impure" thought.

Freedom of speech in U.S.A.,

A right that soon will fade away.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Just Another Day

Fourth of July - Chicago town

There will be fireworks going on.

A bunch of folks will be gunned down,

Sadly - normal phenomenon.

Most of the victims will be black,

Most likely shot by a black too.

A handgun, source of the attack,

Symbol of the red, white and blue.

At least one child's dreams on that day,

In crossfire or drive by will end.

Chicago hoods deal death that way.

It has become a daily trend.

Chicago town - Fourth of July,

Some will shoot guns and some will die.

Sense Sonnet - Tickler

 No Fly Elements

Air, Water, Sky, Fire and Earth be

A band of chickens running to

Determine elementally 

Why long flight's something they can't do.

They spread their wings and take off for

A flight that's only short and sweet.

As flying birds, chickens do poor,

And too soon land back on their feet.

The wings of chickens are too small

To keep their large bodies in flight.

And so this band of chickens all

Find elements to fly aren't right.

But they keep running in the hope

They'll fly the coop but alas - nope!

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Can You Find Me? - LP Zoo

This tawny frogmouth likes to do

A pose of hiding in plain sight

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

It's something that gives me delight

To have visitors wonder where

I may be as they look around.

When they discover I'm right there

They are amazed how I astound.

It is a trick of this bird that

I pose as a branch of a tree,

Just hanging in the habitat

Watching visitors look for me.

I have a body that's designed

To blend in and be hard to find.

Sense Sonnet - Chiller

 Schrodinger's Cat

Erwin Schrodinger  theorized that

If he did seal a box up tight,

After inside he put a cat,

Along with poison - 'twould be right

In quantum physics not to know

Whether or not the cat to be

Dead or alive until proved so.

Till then by Schrodinger's theory

A valid statement could be said

That while the box did remain sealed,

The cat was both alive and dead -

The truth till otherwise revealed.

This done in 1935 -

Odds are the cat is not  alive.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Zoomies on Hooves - LP Zoo

Sometimes the ponies like to do

Zoomies on a bright sunny day

At Lincoln Park Farm in the Zoo,

Having some fun in their own way.

All a sudden there's an urge that

Sends the ponies running 'round

Throughout their barnyard habitat,

Kickin' their hooves up off the ground.

The ponies romp about a while,

Providing quite a show to see,

Enjoying this moment in style -

Ponied up choreography.

Zany zoomies with zeal and zest,

And then the ponies take a rest.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Djeke Shows Off - LP Zoo

Djeke's a young gorilla who

Likes to show off at this or that,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Wherever in his habitat.

For the moment a chunk of wood

Has captured his full attention.

Djeke decides to show off good,

Using the wood piece for his fun.

Up on the wood Djeke does climb,

And perches on top for a while,

King of the Hill in place and time,

Looking out with a great big smile.

When there's an audience to see,

Quite the show off Djeke does be.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Pass Over

All alone on a beach be I,

The ocean waves come rolling in.

The sun is setting in the sky.

My final journey does begin.

Into the water I wade,

And feel a numbness as I face

My fears which seem to slowly fade

In this my chosen time and place.

As the water becomes more deep,

My gaze stays focused on the sun,

Glowingly calling me to sleep,

To bravely do what must be done.

The water takes away my breath,

And I pass from life into death.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Mortimer's Way - LP Zoo

Mortimer's a box turtle who

Does like the game of hide and seek

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

He finds a place from which to peek

At the keeper looking for him.

His hiding place usually's at

The same spot picked at a quick whim

In the box turtle habitat.

But the keeper pretends to try

To look for Mortimer all 'round,

Until at last the turtle guy

Sticks out his head to say, "I'm found!"

Next visit, come Mortimer's way,

And maybe with you he will play.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 June 19th

Juneteenth - the newest holiday

Says the federal government.

Workers will get time off with pay

To celebrate a past event.

In Texas eighteen sixty five

On June 19th the army freed

The remaining slaves still alive,

The end of slavery indeed.

But not till twenty twenty one

Did the federal government be

Willing or able to get done

Holiday against slavery.

As usual the Feds do rate

Poorly for always being late.

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 No Lie

There will come a day when I tell

No lie to anyone that day.

At honesty I will excel.

Nothing that's untrue will I say.

I have a habit, I don't know why,

Of lying about this or that.

Compulsively I have to lie,

Lies written down, lies in my chat,

About things big, about things small.

I will lie about anything.

And I do lie to one and all.

My lies spew forth in endless string.

The day no lie by me be said

Will be the day I wake up dead.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Bounty Mutiny Affair

H.M.S. Bounty mutiny

Led by Christian, master mate

Against Captain Bligh still does be

Full of speculative debate

As to what really caused the act

Of removing Bligh from command.

Some wonder if fiction or fact -

Bligh and Christian were lovers and

Christian wanted to end it so

Planned the mutiny as the way

To do it, forcing Bligh to go,

Ending their affair that was gay.

Just Bligh and Christian knew for sure,

But rumors of them still endure.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 On His Own - LP Zoo

Romeo, the rhino's now two

Years old and very soon will be,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Going forward separately.

The time has come to sever ties

With Mom and go on his own way.

In the wild it is no surprise

For two year olds, there comes this day.

It is a rhino passage rite

That two year old male rhinos go

Off on their own and disunite

From Mom, all the better to grow.

Mom has raised her Romeo well.

He's gonna rock as time will tell.

Sense Sonnet - Acher

 Concerned Parents - LP Zoo

Red winged blackbirds as parents be

Very protective of their nest

When hatchlings are in infancy,

And keep guard with a lot of zest.

When the birds see humans too near,

The birds launch a dive bomb attack.

Of the humans they have no fear,

Striking human heads in the back.

In late June this does tend to calm

When the chicks are now doing well.

Not so worried be Dad and Mom,

And gone is the bird bombing hell.

The red winged blackbirds are guests too

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Be Holders - LP Zoo

Dad and his two year old son do

Some one on one gorilla fun

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Dad does some wrestling with his son.

Both show fancy moves going at

Each other in lopsided match,

Rolling around the habitat.

Dad wrestles extra gentle - natch.

So son, Mondika, feels he is

Giving his Dad a pin down hold,

Little champ in this wrestling biz,

Dad humoring his two year old.

Dad gives his son a boost no doubt.

That's what this wrestling's all about.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Summer Lights

As the calm summer day turns night,

I sit out on the porch to see

The increasings of flashing light.

The fireflies come to visit me.

At first there are but just a few,

But as the evening tide flows on,

More and more glows come into view,

An entrancing phenomenon.

It is a wonder to behold.

The fireflies dancing to and fro,

Each performer a spark of gold,

And all in all an awesome show.

All summer long the fireflies will

Be a pleasure I can refill.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Beak Speak - LP Zoo

This European white stork will

Often have a "talking" to do

And communicate with my bill

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo.

Fast I open and close my beak,

Making lots of knocking sounds that

Clatter in a machine gun speak,

Echoing through my habitat,

Amplified by my throat pouch so

My message sent does resonate

In a distinctive rhythmic flow,

Depending on my feelings state.

When you are visiting, stop by.

Most likely I will clatter, "Hi."

Sense Sonnet - Steamer

 Betrayer

Thirty pieces of silver be

The price that Judas was paid to

Betray Jesus' identity,

Letting powers to then pursue

Arrest of Jesus, to the end

Of being nailed upon the cross.

Judas had once called Jesus friend,

And felt remorse over the loss,

Trying to ease his conscience by

Giving back the silver pieces.

But unsuccessful was his try.

Betrayal price never ceases.

The silver stayed in Judas' purse,

Weighting him down ever in curse.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Eva and Rolando - LP Zoo

Eva and Rolando are two

Tamarins oft seen to cavort

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

Both golden headed lion sort.

Squirrel sized monkeys, their kind come

From the rain forests of Brazil,

Tree dwelling, swinging to and from

The branches with amazing skill.

A fav'rite food to eat is fruit,

Providing quick energy that

Gives them a boost in their pursuit

Of exploring their habitat.

Eva and Rolando be found

In Small Mammal House swinging 'round.

Sense Sonnet - Pumper

 Tongue Sniff - LP Zoo

This beaded lizard needs to do

A sticking out of tongue to tell,

Here at home in Lincoln Park Zoo,

What's in the air for me to smell.

Yes, I have nostrils also that

Aren't to sniff but for breathing air.

The what's new in my habitat -

Is a scent of bad or good there?

Especially something to eat,

My tongue is able to sniff out,

And sends forth for my brain's receipt

If it's a go or if there's doubt.

To smell if predator or prey,

My tongue flicking is on display.