Write any type of poetry that is about animals and our group here:

[Barbara, Founder and Moderator]

Feel like writing poetry or Haiku...Just write it here as long as it's about animals, sea life, birds, or reptiles.

[Tui]

Goody Goody Goody!

[Tui]

How did you guess I'd write a dolphin poem?
Here's my dolphin poem which was published nationwide in our school journals:

TUMBLER DOLPHIN

Have you met the tumbler dolphin?
As a gymnast he's a cracker!
He makes a loud kersploshity-splash
With his kersploshity-whacker

He can do tailspins and cartwheels.
He can smash the waves to bits!
He likes to sprinkle somersault
Onto his fish and chips

If you meet the tumbler dolphin
whirly-dancing on the sea
Ask him if he'll do a rocket skyjump,just for me

[Barbara, Founder and Moderator]

Tui...I love that! Great poem and thanks for sharing.

[Ari]

Here's a preview of one that's going to be in a forthcoming book...I am not a poet, so you can also critique it for me.

Summer nighttime
I park the truck and let you out.
Gravel crunching underfoot
So small and fast, you fly ahead
Barking at some unseen trespasser
To protect our home that’s not our home

In low dark shapes
My fear darts across our moonlit yard
That’s not our yard
To meet you
Your angry snarls are swallowed
By a chorus of throaty others

Teeth flash, fur blurs
In the unseen engagement
heart pounding, I run
Praying I’m not too late
to save you.

Sensing my fear perhaps
you wake me from the horror
that’s not our horror
with sheepish reassurance
cold nose to my ear
you save us both

[Robert]

Here's a haiku based on something that happened at my house this past week:

Trash on kitchen floor!
Was the dog misbehaving?
No! Framed by the cats!

[Tui]

Good one Robert. I'm still convinced it was the dog whodunnit.

[Tui]

The Japanese make great surimi
But I wonder now
Is it whale they're trying to feed me?
In that processed chow?

That's the stuff they make with any
Protein from the seas
seaslugs, worms and slimy creatures
Anything they please

But the process for surimi
Turns it to white paste
Then they manufacture texture
colour, shape and taste

Put it through this complex process
no-one can detect.
What a great disguise for whalemeat
How would we suspect?

[Tui]

In my kitchen lives a mouse
I do not like him in my house
I must be off to chase him out
I will not have that mouse about.

My cat has failed to save the day
She thinks a mouse is fun for play
When she catches one outdoors
She never hurts it with her claws
She thinks it is a special toy
Company she can enjoy

[[deleted user]]

Great idea, and a nice one to come back to.
I've had a tragic death in my family and I'm not at my best but this cheered me up.
Hope you get a laugh from my effort.

BUNNY MAYHEM

I'm only a little rabbit,
You can't blame me,
It's a natural enough habit,
Even you must poo an' wee!

So I did it on the carpet,
An' once more in the hall,
I hate the smell of Harpic,
An' the toilets way too tall.

I know I didn't oughta,
Please forgive me my mistake,
It's only a drop of water,
An' some currants for a cake.

Look, I'm only a little bunny,
Your lovin' little pet,
Really it's quite funny,
Don't take me to the vet.

I know how much you love me,
You don't really want me dead,
Ignore the currants and the wee,
Forget what you just said.

Give me a nice big cuddle,
A great big sloppy kiss,
Forget that tiny puddle,
'tis only a drop of pssssssssssss!

[Tui]

I was hanging on for LastWolf to post a poem. This is very lovely and very funny.
So sorry to hear about your bereavement Lastwolf. Hope your animals are helping to comfort you.

[[deleted user]]

Thanks Tui.... It's slow, but getting there.
Animals always help.... even when they hinder!

Here's a poem I wrote a long time ago, back in Nov. 2000 during the days when I lost my beloved chinchilla doe rabbit.

CLAWED

Ask me: "Why do you love her?"
That's like asking the mountaineer, "Why climb that mountain?"
He answers simply, "Because it's there."
I answer simply, "Because....

Because she's Clawed.
My dream,
my guide.
She brought me peace,
turned chaos into serenity,
hate into joy.
She made me smile again.
She open my eyes,
introduced freedom into my heart,
love into my soul.

She accepted me, faults and all,
she never criticised,
never used or abused me.

We are equals Clawed and I,
two halves of the whole,
friends, comrades... lovers.
Lovers needing only love.
Sharing days.
Sharing ways.
She made me feel important,
rewriting values.
Teaching me humility
with her gentle wisdom.

Where else such grace?
such beauty of form and spirit,
such courage,
such joy in living.

Where else such love?

Then...
Clawed...
Grown old, weary of body,
(though blithe of spirit still)
leaves to seek a new land
of peace and joy and love.
Bequeathing to me a new faith
A new dream that I hold true.
We will find each other again...
this I know.
And we shall run forever free.

[Tui]

It seems a good poem for this time in your life Lastwolf and it brought tears to my eyes too.

[Tui]

Kat, I'm puzzled. What is a liter?

[Barbara, Founder and Moderator]

Tui wrote: "Kat, I'm puzzled. What is a liter?"

Tui, I'm thinking she means a "litter" of puppies, a litter of kittens. Like there are 5 puppies born is a litter.

Kat, did you mean to spell litter instead of liter?

If I'm wrong, please correct me Kat.

[Tui]

Thanks, that makes some sense I guess for an animal poem.