Kay wanted a hippopotamus
for Christmas,
nothing else would do,
her family bore the witness.
She did not want a fancy doll
or a fuzzy teddy bear,
She did not want a frilly dress
or sparkles for her hair.
Santa crossed the isthmus
with water on both sides,
he found the mighty river horse*
and shrank it down in size.
Santa made his run
on snowy Christmas Eve,
Placed the beast below the tree
and turned around to leave.
Little Kay was standing there
wiping sleep away,
She hugged pink hippo very tight and knew
her life would once again be gay**
* "hippopotamus" comes from Greek words meaning "river horse".
**”gay” meaning “lighthearted and carefree”.
How awful is that,
being killed
in a deadly elephant
attack,
or being eaten
by a crocodile?
You cannot tame
those rhinoceros,
nor ride the backs
of river horses*
or peaceably sleep
in a nest of vipers!
I shall then dwell
within the city,
where the animals
are criminals
and where wolves
live among the sheep.
Nature can be deadly,
nurture even worse,
animals live by instinct
humans live by choice
within the curse;
to do good or do not.
* hippopotamos literally means "river horse," from hippos "horse" and potamos "river"
hippopotamus
massive and herbivorous ...
ride the river horse
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entry: "Wild Animal Haiku" Poetry Contest
Contest Judged: 4/18/2022
Sponsored by: Tania Kitchin
(3)
walking gracefully
with a pendulum movement ~
a herd of giraffes
the mass migration
crocodiles at the river~
food for the taking
gazelles are running
a hungry cheetah gives chase~
speed is the winner
a lone male lion
approaches a sleeping pride~
the battle begins
an elephant herd
arrive at the water hole~
use trunks to cool down
a swarm of locusts
devouring vegetation~
skeletal branches
army on the move
soldier ant battalion~
have left a scorched earth
vultures in the trees
animals weakened by thirst~
death is imminent
a downed buffalo
lions watch as herd returns~
bulls scatter the pride
basking in cool mud
the african river horse~
hippopotamus
laughing hyenas
find an unguarded carcass~
scavengers feasting
at the water hole
animals quenching their thirst~
alert for danger
a crash of rhino
hunted for their ivory~
extinction looming
a small antelope
found on the African plains~
cute looking dik dik
the baobab tree
silhouetted at sunset~
african icon
Written 13th May 2018
For best haiku poetry contest
Sponsored By Chantelle Ann Cooke.
A Wild Beast
Hippopotamus
Is of no interest to me
Lives in muddy ponds
Since no one wants its
Considerable teeth
It is left alone
To harass innocent tourists
Who assume
It is a river horse
And can be caressed.
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