From  The Animal Collection by Richard Terboss *

Okapi

Have you ever met an Okapi?

They are shy and not at all sloppy.

Its top half looks like a short-necked giraffe

And its bottom half like a Zebra’s pa-ja-ma.

Makes you wonder who is its daddy and

And furthermore who is its ma-ma.

Narwhal

Narwhals live in the Arctic’s cold waters. 

They are fourteen feet long and have ten-foot horns.

 Ancient mariners brought them home as proof

That indeed, there are unicorns. 

Have you ever met a Narwhal?

If you did, I don’t need to remind ya–

Remember to stay a fair distance away

And don’t let one sneak up behind ya. 

Woodpecker

Have you ever met a Woodpecker?
Never invite one in under your dome.

They are noisy and rude

And into your life they’ll intrude

Literally eating you out of your house and your home.

River Otter

The river otter is one of Nature’s more playful creatures

Although he has chores to do, like any other.

But it’s a rare occurrence if you happy to meet one

Doing his chores, like he oughter.

Moose

Have you ever seen a Moose at the Mall?

You would know, ‘cause they’re extraordinarily tall,

And you would have noticed the empty hat rack on his head;

He would not be wearing sneakers, but would be bare-hoof-ed instead

Which is why Security would have to show him the door;

Besides, whatever could he have been shopping for?

And here’s another “little something” that might bring another smile:

A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, “Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.”The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. “That’s interesting.” she said. “How do you make babies?” “It’s simple,” replied the girl. “You just change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’.”

The Serenity Prayer  written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971). 

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,  the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom know the difference. 

And remember to observe social distancing and to wash your hands.  Keep well and stay safe.

Lots of LovEstelle

• Richard is a fellow poet in the Lifetime Care Bereavement Group