Per Judy's Request...

...and for all the little ones (and little ones at heart) to enjoy:



ALWAYS BE KIND TO ANIMALS
Always be kind to animals
Morning, noon and night.
For animals have feelings, too,
And furthermore they bite!
~John Gardner



THE BARRACUDA
Slowly, slowly he cruises,
And slowly, slowly he chooses
Which kind of fish he prefers to take this morning;
Then without warning
The Barracuda opens his jaws, teeth flashing,
And with a horrible, horrible grinding and gnashing,
Devours a hundred poor creatures and feels no remorse.
It's no wonder of course,
That he really ought perhaps, to change his ways.
"But" (as he says
With an evil grin)
"It's actually not my fault, you see!
I've nothing to do with the tragedy,
I open my mouth for a yawn and -ah me-
They all
Swim
In."
~ John Gardner


THE OCTOPUS
Marvel at the
Awful many-armed
Sea-god Octopus,
And the coiled
Elbows of his eager
Eightfold embrace;

Yet also at his
Tapered tender
Fingertips, ferrying
Their great brow
Along the sea floor
In solitary grace.
~Valerie Worth