Friday, February 10, 2017

Poetry Re-Issue: My Dad's a Hippopotamus

MY DAD’S A HIPPOPOTAMUS
by
Greg Pincus

My dad’s a hippopotamus.
He’s dad to quite a lot of us.
You think that’s strange? I don’t know why,
Since we’re all hippopotami.

We’re friends with a rhinoceros,
Who I think looks preposterous.
I’m glad that I don’t spend time bein’
Something so rhinocerian.

We live next to a crocodile.
He’s over there on his own isle.
He’s got big bumps on each short limb.
I’m glad that I don’t look like him.

We also know a chimpanzee,
The strangest creature that you’ll see.
Those gangly arms look out of place,
And I would never want his face.

Right nearby’s an ocelot.
He likes to mew and roar a lot.
With spots and splotches hard to miss,
I think he looks ridiculous.

But there’s one creature that we see
That’s most absurd. We all agree.
It comes to visit at our zoo.
And... oh... how sad! It looks like you.


Every now and then, this particular poem pops into my head (particularly when I've been thinking a lot about taking other perspectives). This is one of those times, so I figure I'd share the poem with y'all... particularly since it's Poetry Friday! And since it is that most poetic of days, why not check out the roundup of this week's posts over at The Logonauts? Good!

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

*Snort*
Great twist, Greg - and fun word play throughout.

Irene Latham said...

Yes, I have often wondered what zoo animals think of we crazy humans with our hats and water bottles and strollers and bags... they travel so lean in the world, and we come puffed and covered. Also my son put on his car a bumper sticker that says "I Heart Ocelots." So many people have asked him, "What is an ocelot?" :)

Linda said...

I love the surprise ending, Greg! It made me think of my kitty. Sometimes she sits and just stares at me. It gets a little creepy. : )
I always wonder what she might be thinking.

Jane @ Raincity Librarian said...

Too funny!

Kay said...

What fun!

Brenda at FriendlyFairyTales said...

So Hippo-Trump--ian. Great underlying message. Great use of rhymes and playfulness.

Mary Lee said...

You are the master of rhymes, and you endings always ZING!!

Samanta said...

This was a very short and interesting read. While many are not aware of some of the animals we have in the zoo this is a great way of introducing them through poems. It may boost students imagination.