Lamb in a Pram

by Joseph J. Biernacki

Are these reflections of ourselves or are they something more? Might the animals in turn, see humans with blue fur?

There was this zoo, I do recall

Of bristly quills and bills,

And animals, though known to all,

That really gave me thrills.

A monkey with a funky hat

And glasses and a book

Beside him was a purple cat,

With compass and a snook.

A nimble hippopotamus,

Painting with her toes,

Her name was Ms. Dichotomous,

She yelled, "stand still and pose!"

A chatty cheetah on the phone

Dressed to take a hike

Eating ice cream in a cone

While riding on a bike

A singing zebra in a car,

Tap-tapping to the blues

With groupies chasing t’ward the star,

Of hip-hop kangaroos.

A wall-eyed pink chameleon

On Rosy Rhino’s back

A mole that’s rather alien

And giant green horned Yak

A prickly DJ porcupine

With curly, curvy quills

Broadcasting a recording

Of squeaky bird-like trills.

A Siamese Duck-billed platypus

With groovy double bills

An inky nine-legged “nonapus”

With neon-colored frills

A vegan lion eating jam

While carried by a bear

And a slumbering lamb, in a pram,

Pushed by jumping hare.

(January 2026)