Owl: Animal Poem #11

Do you know all of your vowels?
They be “a”, “e”, “i”, “o”, “u”
Well, just take the “o” vowel
And turn two into an “oo”

Because if you want to be the coolest
You better learn the owl’s coo
For the owls are the wisest
But they only talk in “oos”!

So just pucker up your lips
And give me an “oo” “oo”
For if you want to be the coolest
You better learn your “a”, “e”, “i”, “o”, “oos”

You have to howl like an owl!
“oo” “oo” “oo”
You have to howl like an owl!
“oo” “oo” “oo”
You have to howl like an owl!
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Because when you howl like an owl
You’ll be wiser too!

Can you turn your head around?
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Almost all the way around?
“oo” “oo” “oo”
And can you never make a sound?
“mmm” “mmm” “mmm”
Especially whenever food’s around?
“oo” “oo” “oo”

And could you ever eat a mouse?
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Or maybe call a bird your spouse?
“oo” “oo” “oo”
And can you scrunch your face all flat
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Almost as flat as a yoga mat?
“oo” “oo” “oo”

And can you flap your arms as wings
“oo” “oo” “oo”
And surround your eyes with rings?
“oo” “oo” “oo”
And could you make your eyes so wide
“oo” “oo” “oo”
That a grapefruit could fit inside?
“oo” “oo” “oo”

And could you hear a twig go break?
“oo” “oo” “oo”
From over seventy-five feet away?
“oo” “oo” “oo”
And at night could you stay awake?
“oo” “oo” “oo”
And only fall asleep during the day?
“oo” “oo” “oo”

But most of all, can you howl like an owl?
“oo” “oo” “oo”
And remember to sing all of your “oos”?
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Because the pleasure of the owl
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Is to always sing the owl’s coo!
“oo” “oo” “oo”

So if you want to be coolest
“oo” “oo” “oo”
You better know the owl’s coo
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Just say them loud and proud
“oo” “oo” “oo”
And sing them like “you know who”!
“oo” “oo” “oo”

You have to howl like an owl!
“oo” “oo” “oo”
You have to howl like an owl!
“oo” “oo” “oo”
You have to howl like an owl!
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Because when you howl like an owl
You "oo" the coolest coo!

For the coda of the owl
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Is to never cause a foul
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Is to never throw the towel
“oo” “oo” “oo”
And to never ever scowl
“oo” “oo” “oo”

Yes, the coda of the owl
“oo” “oo” “oo”
Is to always know our vowels
“oo” “oo” “oo”
And especially all of those “oos”
“oo” “oo” “oo”
For the owl’s coo is within you!
“oo” “oo” “oo”

Ant: Animal Poem #10

"There is no can’t to an ant!"
"There is no can’t to an ant!"
"There is no can’t to an ant!"
Because the way of the ant
Is to work together
That’s how we make things better!

We each have a job to do
That’s how the colony makes it through
Most are called workers
And some of those nurture
We do what we have got to do!

Our colony has a queen
The biggest ant that I’ve seen
Our men live a few weeks
But she can live twenty years
It’s the mission of ant careers!

After birth our men fly to a young queen’s den
And that’s why our colony is all women
I bet you didn’t expect
That a very successful insect
Is a society made of just women!

But the colony is the sister scene
Because our mom is one ant: the queen
We are one bug family
That supports each other, you see
We stress the “we” of family!!!

For the reason the ant species thrives
And why we ants continue to survive
Is that every single ant
Never says “can’t”
To be an ant is to always strive!

So whether your job is a digger
Or whether your job is the food seeker
Or whether you protect the queen
Or check out a new scene
Every ant works to make society better.

The ant’s passion is in her work
It’s how ant societies work
Although we may be small
The attitude is one for all
We small ants build castle walls!

So next time you see an ant
Before you step on one, think “can’t”
Because all ye’ humans
Have a lot to learn from ants
For one, our giving is never scant!

And may you forever remember this chant:
That there “Is no can’t to an ant!”
And if your determination is true
And your attitude is “can do”
Hopefully you can be like an ant too!

Flamingo: Animal Poem #9

The Florida flamingo goes to the Poconos
But what she has gone to find, well, nobody knows
She has these beautiful long legs
And a face that begs to be kissed
And she will be missed
My flamingo in the Poconos...

I knew no woes when I was with my flamingo
She had a flaming style and a grace always worth my while
But I bet it shows
On my face sans flamingo
For I love her feathers
And without her, well, it blows...

I admit it was funny, seeing a flamingo next to me
The animals all stood around and said: “now how can this be!”
For as her kindness showered
So too did her beauty tower over me
But I was never so happy
As when my flamingo was next to me...

I first saw her in Miami at the end of a flying v
She was standing on one leg and it stole my breath away
The beautiful long curve of her neck
Was just impossible for me to resist
So I swooped down and gave her a love peck
And followed it up with a loving hiss...

But who would have guessed
That a flamingo would not be impressed with this?
She thought more was expected
From a suitor than just a loving hiss
And so I knelt to my feathers and said “for you, I’d do anything, miss”
And so she gave me a wink that turned my face a flamingo pink...

And so for many years, it was my flamingo standing next to me
She was a pink princess standing with a black Canadian king
And it was ever so wonderful
Being near those heart shaped wings
You’ve never heard of a bird who ever felt as lucky as me...

And though I thought she and I would spend our whole long lives together
As I stood under her feathers as she protected me in all sorts of weather
Well, sadly, now, it’s all too clear for me to see
That no amount of my tears could ever bring her back to me...

For everyone knows how much I love my flamingo
And as I sing the blues I think of her in the Poconos
Because though the bird I love is now the bird that I did lose
To me she will always be the one bird that my heart will choose...

For I’ll always love
Always love my flamingo
She is the most beautiful bird that this bird will ever know
And I understand why my love had to cut me loose
For have you ever heard of a flamingo
Who was in love with a silly goose?

Everybody needs a buddy

Everybody needs a buddy
Everybody needs a friend
Everybody needs somebody
Who will be there in the end

So when hard times are upon us
Or the tears of pain descend
Know that you can always call on me
For I will always be your friend

Everybody needs a buddy
Everybody needs a friend
Everybody needs somebody
Whose love does not depend

For as fears may come upon us
And the clouds of doubt surround
There's one path that’s never muddied
It’s the peace that love has found

Everybody needs a buddy
Everybody needs a friend
Everybody needs somebody
Whose compassion has no end

And on the days when life seems funny
And when no one seems around
Know of what your love has done for me
So my love now has no bounds

Everybody needs a buddy
Everybody needs a friend
Everybody needs somebody
Whose love will never end

And may you always call me buddy
And may you share this love I send
For though the days are sometimes sunny
I will always be your friend.

Kangaroo: Animal Poem #8

If you want to hang like a kangaroo
There is one thing you have got to do
No matter if you're feeling sad
Or you're feeling blue
There's only one think that works
That always gets us through
And can you guess what that is
What you have got to do???

You've got to...
Hop Hop like a kangaroo!
That's it!
Just hop hop like a kangaroo!

Just hop hop hop when you're feeling down
Just hop hop hop all around the town
Just hop hop hop until you cannot stop
Just hop hop hop until you feel on top!

Just hop hop hop while cleaning with a mop
Just hop hop hop until your ears go pop
Just hop hop hop when you see a cop
Just hop hop hop until your feet go plop!

Hop on top your bed
Hop until you're red
"Hop" is what I said
Hop until you're wed!

Hop a doodle doo
Hop with noodles too
Hop when you're at the zoo
Hop like a kangaroo!

Hop hop hop like a kangaroo
Hop hop hop like a kangaroo!
Next time you don't know what to do
Hop hop hop like a kangaroo!

So next time when you're sitting on the couch
Kick yourself until you're thinking "ouch"
Because we kangaroos are never slouches
We even hop with babes within our pouches!

We kangaroos always love to play
So make sure to hop and find a friend today
Because when you have a friend that hops with you
You're even more like a kangaroo!

So let me finish with the best sort of news
If you're at the zoo and don't know what to do
Or for when you're stuck at home
Because you have the flu
Or even for when you have a smelly shoe
Because you just stepped in dog poo
There is one thing for certain
One thing you can always do...
And that is...
Hop hop like a kangaroo!

That's it...
Just HOP HOP like a KANGAROO!

Cuttlefish: Animal Poem #7

This will need to be edited for the kids book...

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When you're dancing on the ocean floor
And you're wondering what your life is for
There's one fish to grant your every wish
Come up and cuddle with the cuttlefish

Come up and cuddle with the cuttlefish
I'm the fish to grant your every wish
I'm the genie of the ocean floor
Because to me you seem a tasty dish!

It doesn't matter if you're a squid or shrimp
Or the strongest fish or just a wimp
I've got a place for both the prince and slave
It's the palace in my belly's enclave

So if you're the type of fish who likes to eat
I'm the type of fish you'd want to meet
Because a cuttlefish is awfully sweet
And, of course, dinner is always my treat

Come up and cuddle with the cuttlefish
I'm the fish to grant your every wish
I'm the genie of the ocean floor
Because to me you seem a tasty dish

When I'm swimming near the sea floor ground
I like to turn my skin a shade of brown
And when I'm swimming through a plant life scene
I like to turn to a shade of orange or green

Because I bet that you all never knew
That my skin can turn to every hue
The beauty you may never see is no mirage
We sea chameleons have a camouflage

For didn't I tell you I'm the sea's genie
And that's because you all may never see me
But I want you to visit and go rub my skin
So I can open my mouth and invite you in

You see, nothing in the sea is as beautiful
As the cuttlefish whose belly's full
And if you don't see me when I come to meet you
That's ok, because I've come to eat... too.

Come up and cuddle with the cuttlefish
I'm the fish to grant your every wish
I'm the genie of the ocean floor
Because to me you seem a tasty dish

Besides our colors, we cuttlefish are known
For the bone that's called the cuttlebone
It's a bone filled with this gas inside
That keeps us buoyant while it's swimming time

And we cuttlefish have these eight strong arms
But they shouldn't give you much alarm
It's what we hide, these two long tentacles
That we may use to grab you by the ankles

But don't you ever think of us as dinner
Or I'll bite you with a beak that's inner
And run away before you can even think
Leaving you lost within my sea of ink

For if you're a fish that didn't like this rhyme
You've never thought of us at dinnertime
As genies we can grant your ever wish
When every fish's wish is to be a cuttlefish dish...

Come up and cuddle with the cuttlefish!
Come up and cuddle with the cuttlefish!
Come up and cuddle with the cuttlefish!
Because to me you seem a tasty dish!

Huddle, huddle all you little fish
And come and cuddle with we cuttlefish
Because we genies will grant your every wish
When what you really wish is to be a dish!