At the fair, they’d beckon us in, tell us that we’d see a girl become a gorilla. They’d chant, “Girl, girl, girl, girlilla, gorilla…”
Monkeying Around
gorillas dressed in leopard suits, climbing
the so-called “ladder of success”
hopping onto
tiger-rings of oak
they may be gorillas
but to each other, they’re monkeys
kids in monkey suits
paid in daily rocks
white-collar players
sans elevator music
back in time
trinkets laid out on twin beds
muzak orchestra plays
as we shop
or we scrawl up a menu
making sure the sister’s choice
is the special
always a crazy conglomeration
we were never mean
we just laughed as the other
threw the pillow
and it landed on the flame
oops
you can recoup
if that happens in virtual reality
or stop the action
before a catastrophe happens
no wonder parents like
their kids
to sit still
i tried dressing in a leopard suit
but i’m too old to climb the ladder
yesteryear, i was paid in “Parcheesi”
today’s chromecast: “Say cheese”
returning to the present
i tap the gorilla on the shoulder
“Stop monkeying around,” I say,
“Throw your grandma a great big kiss.”
Great-Dancing Monkey
Funky
monkey
Not Ben and Jerry’s!
Chunky
Monkey
Servant Baboon
Monkey
flunky
Monkey in Chains
Clunky
Monkey
Too Long Near Skunk Cage
Skunky
monkey
Monkey Tree Lover
Hanger
Langur
Foreman of Monkey Brigade
Langer
Ganger
When Monkeys Want to Eat like Humans
Baboons
grab spoons
Stolen by Renegade Baboons
Baboons
nab prunes
Jan. 18, 2023
for Brian Strand No 1172 Poetry Contest
Her bulbous profile and pungent odor
That sunken chin and busy motor
A tremulous scowl crosses her flaring lips
From her cup rum she gulps, while others sip
Her mouth opens wide in a hideous grin
Displays shocking tooth decay within
Some teeth rotten; others chipped
Best she keeps her lips tightly zipped
Abruptly she emits a belch and a fart
As she starts steering her grocery cart
Wildly it careens, as customers swoon
Wuddya expect from a drunken baboon
Written by Gail DeBole
The white-handed Gibbon swung high
but he still was too young to fly
through the air between trees
'til along came a breeze
which carried him through clear blue sky.
Monkeying Around...
Be careful
when you online date
'cause you could
wind up
with a primate !
Copyright McCuen 2009
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