Classic and Contemporary Poetry
AT THE ZOO, by BURGES JOHNSON Poet's Biography First Line: It must be hard for you, porcupine Last Line: Instead of my tiny self. Subject(s): Animals; Children; Zoos; Childhood | ||||||||
It must be hard for you, porcupine, To dress when the day begins! I'm glad there aren't any clothes of mine A-needin' so many pins. But when I've been saucy and horrid too, Or up to some naughty prank, If I could only wear clothes like you I'd be awfully hard to spank! A snake's the funniest thing I know, So dreadfully incomplete; Without any arms where hands can grow, And not any legs for feet. But I wish I could crawl on the ground that way, Or shin up the apple trees, And not have nursie get mad and say There's holes in my stockin' knees! I'm glad I wasn't a monkey too! It's jolly to watch you climb, But you're fighting and biting the whole day through, And chattering all the time. But maybe a tail like that would be An awfully useful thing Up in our neighbor's cherry tree On holidays in the spring! You thin giraffe, if I was you, I'd have a hard time, I spec'; For nursie would make a great to-do A-washing my face an' neck. But when the jam and the cookie-jar Are hid on the highest shelf, I wisht I was as tall as you creatures are, Instead of my tiny self. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE THREE CHILDREN by JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN CHILDREN SELECTING BOOKS IN A LIBRARY by RANDALL JARRELL COME TO THE STONE ... by RANDALL JARRELL THE LOST WORLD by RANDALL JARRELL A SICK CHILD by RANDALL JARRELL CONTINENT'S END by ROBINSON JEFFERS ON THE DEATH OF FRIENDS IN CHILDHOOD by DONALD JUSTICE THE POET AT SEVEN by DONALD JUSTICE A BABY AT THE PARTY by BURGES JOHNSON |
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