Paula the Pangolin

Paula the pangolin polished her scaly skin
Went to the market and traded her mandolin
Told the shopkeeper, “I’ll swap for a mandarin,
Oranges are a bit big for a pangolin.”

The shopkeeper gave her the requisite fruit
And said, “Would you sell me your anteater suit?”
Paula said, “It’s not a suit and I’m ravenous,
Ive got a space in my tummy that’s cavernous.”

The shopkeeper said, “But it’s fruit that you’ve got,
Unless you’re a vegan you eat bugs… a lot!”
Paula said, “You’ve just used citrus as cash,
So don’t you judge me as I do something rash.”

She headed outside and said grace to her God
And stamped on the mandarin, til it was trod
The shopkeeper rushed out in anger fuelled haste,
And shouted, “You could have at least had a taste.

“Just look at the juice as it trickles away,
I now wish that I hadn’t served you today.”
“You’re wasting good food,” was the worst of his rants
Til Paula the pangolin said, “Oh look… ants!”
Copyright © | Year Posted 2023

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Bowring Avatar
November 12, 2023 at 3:18 PM
Another really fun read from you Terry. Always so, so well written. The flow and your rhymes in all your poems are truly remarkable. Love Paula the pangolin and the ending with the ants was a stroke of genius! So enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing my talented friend :):)
Flood Avatar
November 15, 2023 at 4:05 PM
So glad you enjoyed, Christina. Funny thing is, Paula was never meant to be a ‘she’ but every ‘P’ name that I googled for a pangolin had already been done. I guess you would say that such a smart pangolin could only be female ;-)
Edmonds  Avatar
October 13, 2023 at 7:00 PM
Very good Terry Paula the pangolin knew what she was doing, the juice of the fruit was bait for the ants… Belle
Flood Avatar
November 15, 2023 at 4:06 PM
You’re quite right, Belle… that Paula is one smart cookie ;-)
Slaughter Avatar
October 1, 2023 at 11:01 AM
Good going, Terry. Pangolins don't get nearly enough attention...in my opinion.
Flood Avatar
November 15, 2023 at 4:09 PM
You’re not wrong, Jim…. Probably because I used up all the decent rhymes ;-)
Fisher Avatar
September 27, 2023 at 5:53 PM
You've turned Paula into a rock star(in the anteater world). This was a lot of fun, but you were getting the reader a little antsy toward the end.
Flood Avatar
November 15, 2023 at 4:10 PM
I’ve always marvelled at animals that can eat plants that sting or insects that bite. All hail the pangolin!
Brotherton Avatar
September 27, 2023 at 9:29 AM
Oh, what a great poem. Just because someone does not do it the way we think...doesn't make them wrong.
Flood Avatar
November 15, 2023 at 4:11 PM
The end justifies the means… it seems ;-)
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