PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

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THE GRATITUDE OF ANIMALS... OR LINZEY'S LITANY

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To you at birth each animal bequeathed
His own special gift in ribbons wreathed.
The cat delivered her independence.
The hawk his detached ascendance.
Loyalty was gifted by the dog.
Archer's aim conferred the frog.
Waters of life gave the camel
Nurturing from the bovine mammal.
Longevity came from the tortoise.
Love for all from the porpoise.
Mice their adaptability
Cheetah speed and agility
Clam his hiding facility
Guinea pig lovability.
Rabbits fertility
Horses invincibility
Lion her courageous fight
Giraffe his extreme height.
Gorilla his awesome might
Swans .. their soaring flight.
Squid: ink with which to write
Eagles.. longrange sight
Armadillo his armoured coat.
The whale offered himself as boat.
Elephant his showering trunk
Foe repellant from the skunk.
Bear his peaceful hibernation.
Vulture her conservation.
The donkey gave her patient heart.
The monkey gave his mental art.
His suitcase to you gave the kangaroo
as you freed his friends from the zoo.
Roaches their divine forgiving
Lark her lifting love of living.
Sparrows their simplicity
Fox his detective duplicity
Enduring from the ants
Bees their direction dance
Spiders the art of weavers
Architecture from the beavers.
Woodpecker.. carving precision.
Owl her nighttime vision
Fidelity from loons
Humor from baboon
Paper weaving from the wasp.
Medicines.. from the asp.
Crow her entire jewel collection.
Pigs their spirit of insurrection.
Octopi their boxing protection.
Butterflies God's resurrection.

-saiom shriver-

(to Andrew Linzey, first professor of animal rights at Oxford ...
a courageous stance in a primate abusing university and to
all others helping now or in the future voiceless powerless animals)
50

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