Category: Animals

To make a kangaroo’s life worse,
She serves her youngsters as a purse.
What more could Baby Kangy want
Than a fur-lined seat right down in front?
But when, I ask, nor mean to scoff,
Do kangaroos’ offspring spring off??

by Ray Romine Saturday, November 25, 1950

His camouflage is something; his brorm tweeds
Match with perfection frosted grass and weeds.
His ears pull flatter; not a muscle moves–
He’s caught a scent of which he disapproves,
And looming overlarge to his small ken,
There thunders past much armament and men.
Somehow he knows that he who hides in fear
The next few days may live another year.

by Ray Romine Monday, July 26, 1954

The first toad I ever saw–
What a surprise!
I thought him so ugly
That I closed my eyes.

But mother informed me
The warts on his suit
To Mama Toad, anyhow,
Are what make him cute!

by Ray Romine Thursday, June 26, 1952

The fish relieves the daytime tedium
Cavorting in a liquid medium.
Disparage if you will the fish,
At meal time he is quite a dish–
But not too much so to his Mrs.
Who gurgles at him soggy hisses,
For I have gathered, from my reading,
His tardy marks are all for breeding.
“Poor fish” my eye–let’s not pretend:
He has a fin or two to spend!
Carefully, away he sails,
Balancing, no doubt, his scales.

by Ray Romine Tuesday, November 13, 1951

His tongue is long, and that’s good, because
He opens ant-hills with great strong claws,
And laps up whatever ants are handy
Which, to him, are ice-cream and chocolate candy.
But I’d hate to be him and take the chance
Of sticking my nose into all those ants!

by Ray Romine Saturday, February 6, 1954