Late Springtime Hiku 18
late springtime glaciers
drifting in Southern O ~c ~e ~a ~n
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~
e n g
driven by p u
.s n i
Spiffed up in my tux and looking so cool
My, how the ladies do titter and drool
I strut about to entice
Fell on my bum on the ice
Picking myself up, slunk off like a fool
he grew up like anyone else
he was just the same
except
he was blest
to know the name
of the black and white seabird
with the blubber layer
and when that bird went down
he said a prayer
there was no sound
none
that anyone could hear
but
he felt the Secret Penguin's presence near
it's true
that waddling wonder was never found
that polar pirate
had gone underground
not to swim with the whales, sharks and fishes
but to continue to fulfill
children's wishes
those who had expected to see the last of him
had been reduced to so much
chum
smarter
than any other kind of waterfowl
he was wiser
than a great horned owl
the world
would see his vengeance reign
the Secret Penguin
was back again
the sky was cold and grey
when
yesterday
you told me where the Secret Penguin lay
in bygone years
they say he was a sight
the avian conundrum
in black and white
operating in ice-cold
frozen stealth
he redistributed the ocean's wealth
some say
he went down in a bullet hail
trying to save a hunted humpback whale
his misty memory
lives down under
he left us with much more than wonder
in the Antarctic wilderness below
his noble three-toed footprint
in the snow.
He grew up like anyone else. He was just the same -
except, he was blest to know the name
of the black and white seabird with the blubber layer,
and when that bird went down, he said a prayer.
There was no sound, none that anyone could hear,
but he felt the Secret Penguin's presence near.
It's true, that waddling wonder was never found.
That polar pirate had gone underground -
not to swim with the whales, sharks and fishes -
but to continue to fulfill children's wishes.
Those who had expected to see the last of him,
had been reduced to so much chum.
Smarter than any other kind of waterfowl,
he was wiser than a great horned owl.
The world would see his vengeance reign.
The Secret Penguin was back again.
The sky was cold and grey, when, yesterday,
you told me where the Secret Penguin lay.
In bygone years, they say, he was a sight,
the avian conundrum in black and white.
Operating in ice-cold, frozen stealth,
he redistributed the ocean's wealth.
Some say he went down in a bullet hail,
trying to save a hunted humpback whale.
His misty memory lives down under.
He left us with much more than wonder -
in the Antarctic wilderness below,
his noble, three-toed footprint in the snow.
at a patio table
sat a pangolin and penguin
pondering
and there they pursued
under a parasol
perusing
diving with questions
delving for answers
they had a universe
in front of them
unpicked
undone
suited and solved
by the pangolin and penguin
Chilly the Penguin reached his shop and checked his bunch of keys
He opened up his clothing store and hoped that he could please
A spider came in from the cold, some winter wear to choose
He told the penguin shopkeeper, “I need much warmer shoes.”
“Would that be four matching pairs?” the shopkeeper enquired
The spider looked surprised and said, “That many aren’t required.”
The penguin looked confused and said, “My adding isn’t great,
But even I can count your legs and see that you’ve got eight.”
The spider shook his head and said, “Do you not understand,
I only want shoes for my feet, to walk on frozen land.
There's snow and ice outside today, which every penguin loves,
But spiders need three pairs of shoes, and, for snowballs… gloves!”
Pirate penguin had a song in his oversized heart
It was singing and chiming in a new kind of art.
He investigated the plank and laughed with a lark.
Now we wait for a crocodile, he said to first mate McBark.
I once knew a penguin named Frank.
Who had a big problem. He drank.
He got a full snout.
His wife threw him out.
And now he's asleep in “the tank.”
I don't follow many sports.
I'm boring you see.
Samantha, my cat, does apparently.
In these Pennsylvania winters of snow and ice,
I may have watched hockey, once or twice.
I had a penguin ornament on my Christmas tree,
which suddenly vanished mysteriously..
It was as cute as it could be,
with a little Santa hat and scarf to greet me.
Some time ago it disappeared.
I may have discarded it I feared.
Today it suddenly reappeared.
Now I know what a smart cat I've got,
as Samantha has adopted it as her cat mascot.
Perhaps she's keeping it for good luck?
Now I have to go out and buy a cat puck..
She said she saw a penguin.
Right there on the TV,
But when I looked an albatross,
Was all that I could see.
She said she saw a walrus,
On the living room floor,
But all I saw was an elephant,
Standing at the door.
She said she saw a blunderbuss,
Aiming right at me,
But all I saw was the last thing,
That I did ever see.
In the backyard I built a penguin feeder
In the hopes of becoming a breeder
But I have yet to spot
A penguin on my lot
So I hired an aquatic cheerleader
At first she attracted a duck and a wren
So I quickly built a large penguin pen
But after ten days
I sent her away
When she only drew in, fishy smelling men
Adelie penguin,
dear little thing,
black on your back,
black on your wings,
round white tummy
and flat pink feet,
your waddle is funny
and so is your squeak.
When you dive in the water
and porpoise around,
jumping back on your feet
when you land on the ground,
it’s a penguin I’d be,
if a bird I would choose,
wearing dinner-suit feathers
and flappy pink shoes.
There was once a penguin who thought
That religion and morals were naught,
As he swam in cold water
He thought, "Boy, I oughta...
Do something, but I don't know what.”
Related Poems