The Silver Sage
Are you ready? Come on along and read some homespun poetry as well as a jot and tittle regarding distinguished poets and their works. Gael offers a positive balance of her own nostalgia notes and poetic meanderings with those of others. [Editor's note: Gael no longer contributes to Silver Planet, but we have made her archived blog entries available as a service to our readers.]
The Giraffe
Thinking back on a recent vacation spent with my young grandson, I had time to question who had been more excited about our visit to the zoo—my grandson, or me? I am always amazed by giraffes, and I head for that exhibit first. They are such marvelous creatures to watch. The way they walk, the way they swing their long, graceful necks. And then there’s that 20-inch (give or take), deep purple tongue. I enjoy holding out a vitamin-packed cracker (specifically prepared by the zoo’s chef) and watching it get scooped up by the muscular purple pulley!
My amateur giraffeology reading tells me that since the giraffe grazes on leaves from the uppermost tree branches, always exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, the tongue is purposely dark colored to prevent sunburn. Apparently that is not a proven fact, but it certainly sounds believable to me. An even more interesting fact is that each pattern on a giraffe’s decorative hide is different from every other giraffe’s pattern. How unique is that? Just like human fingerprints, no two giraffe hides are alike.
When a poem gives human characteristics and capabilities to an animal as the central theme, it is called anthropomorphism—now that’s a word worth the price of a zoo ticket! Since you may already know I love nonsense rhyme, here is your smile for the day:
An unknown poet
With a neck so long,
To hear his song,
You'll have to stay,
Around all day.
He begins his tune,
Just before noon.
And it comes out right,
About midnight!
By Gael Stuart
The Silver Sage Blog
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