Giraffe Headbutts [Lyric Poem]

I was warned giraffes like to give headbutts.
I told the man, "You must be nuts!
Even if true, my head 's far too low."

"That's why we built a tower, now up you go!"
Tower built at the Giraffe Centre to put humans at headbutt level.

Buffalo [Lyric Poem]

Never punch a Buffalo!
They may seem dim and kind of slow,
But they hold a grudge to the last,
And - besides - you're not exactly fast!

“The Poets light but Lamps –” (930) by Emily Dickinson [w/ Audio]

The Poets light but Lamps --
Themselves -- go out --
The Wicks they stimulate
If vital Light

Inhere as do the Suns --
Each Age a Lens
Disseminating their
Circumference --

Bee [Lyric Poem]

I see the humble bumble bee, 
Or should I say I see its rump.
It snugged in, made itself cozy --
To get away it's far too plump.

Crocodile [Lyric Poem]

The Crocodile has a toothy smile,
And, Oh My, is he so proud of it.
I'll sing his praises (play Croc-o-phile)
As long as I'm ten feet above it.

Cheetah [Lyric Poem]

The Leopard cannot change its spots;
Maybe an obese Cheetah can
Blot out all of those old, black dots
With an orange cheese powder tan.

“Excelsior” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow [w/ Audio]

The shades of night were falling fast,
As though an Alpine village passed
A youth, who bore, 'mid snow and ice,
A banner with the strange device,
Excelsior!

His brow was sad; his eye beneath,
Flashed like a falchion from its sheath,
And like a silver clarion rung
The accents of that unknown tongue,
Excelsior!

In happy homes he saw the light
Of household fires gleam warm and bright;
Above, the spectral glaciers shone,
And from his lips escaped the groan,
Excelsior!

"Try not the Pass!" the old man said;
"Dark lowers the tempest overhead,
The roaring torrent is deep and wide!"
And loud that clarion voice replied,
Excelsior!

"Oh stay," the maiden said, "and rest
Thy weary head upon this breast!"
A tear stood in his bright blue eye,
But still he answered, with a sigh,
Excelsior!

"Beware the pine-tree's withered branch!
Beware the awful avalanche!"
This was the peasant's last Good-night,
A voice replied, far up the height,
Excelsior!

At break of day, as heavenward
The pious monks of Saint Bernard
Uttered the oft-repeated prayer,
A voice cried through the startled air,
Excelsior!

A traveller, by the faithful hound,
Half-buried in the snow was found,
Still grasping in his hand of ice
That banner with the strange device,
Excelsior!

There in the twilight cold and gray,
Lifeless, but beautiful, he lay,
And from the sky, serene and far,
A voice fell like a falling star,
Excelsior!

Yew [Lyric Poem]

Oh, the Yew tree --
Such a beauty!...
But on that Yew,
You'd best not chew:
It'll kill you painfully.

Cloud Deception [Lyric Poem]

Hiking to the hilltop
To get a better view,
I found myself in clouds
That edged the sky of blue.

Standing upon a cliff,
(How high? I cannot know,)
I doubt cloud would catch me,
If I'd let myself go.

But it looked so fluffy,
Like it could bear my weight,
But then the sky 'd looked clear
From down the valley strait.

I guess the moral is:
One just can't trust the sky;
If you leap into the clouds,
It's certain that you'll die,
& when you think the sky clear
You may be denied.

“The Emperor of Ice-Cream” by Wallace Stevens [w/ Audio]

Call the roller of big cigars,
The muscular one, and bid him whip
In kitchen cups concupiscent curds.
Let the wenches dawdle in such dress
As they are used to wear, and let the boys
Bring flowers in last month's newspapers.
Let be be finale of seem.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

Take from the dresser of deal,
Lacking the three glass knobs, that sheet
On which she embroidered fantails once
And spread it so as to cover her face.
If her horny feet protruded, they come
To show how cold she is, and dumb.
Let the lamp affix its beam.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.