It’s Poetry Friday and Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect is the host. She has written a heart-wrenching pantoum about her sweet Cooper.
Thank you to the Poetry Sisters for including us in their March challenge to write a pantoum about an animal. This past week, I spent a few days in the San Diego area, where I met the ubiquitous Western Fence Lizard.
Ode to the Western Fence Lizard
King of Torrey Pines, Western Fence Lizard
Your deep sunny pushups warm your cold blood
Darting and dashing safely, young Wizard
Horny tight scales keep you dry in flashfloods
Your deep sunny pushups warm your cold blood
Those climbing toes! Longer than your femurs!
Horny tight scales keep you dry in flashfloods
Look at your stunning view, O, Daydreamer
Those climbing toes! Longer than your femurs!
Your dark shadow shows two tails and two heads
Look at your stunning view, O, Daydreamer
If your tail is caught it can safely shed
Your dark shadow shows two tails and two heads
No worries for you where you build your home
If your tail is caught it can safely shed
As human houses tumble into the foam
No worries for you where you build your home
Darting and dashing safely, young Wizard
As human houses tumble into the foam
King of Torrey Pines, Western Fence Lizard
Oh, those sunny push ups!! This is JUST RIGHT, every word of it!
Wow, Denise, I love that you managed to include so much about this lizard in your poem, the pushups, “Those climbing toes! Longer than your femurs!” (the picture shows how amazing, too). When we have been on tropical beaches in the past, most of the family loved seeing all the lizards, so I love this, and smiled that you shared its view, too!
This just shows that poetry and science exist in beautiful harmony. Emily Dickinson knew that; so do you! (I love so many lines, and the pantoum form in general but these two,”Your dark shadow shows two tails and two heads/
Look at your stunning view, O, Daydreamer” followed by the panoramic photo? Perfect
I never knew there was such a thing as a Western Fence Lizard! He’s gorgeous, and where he lives in stunning. I love you describing him doing pushups and the repetition of – O, Daydreamer. Just lovely.
California is a wonderful place to view wildlife. Such and amazing rocky coastline. I love the picture and the details in your poem. Toes longer than femur! That’s an interesting discovery.
Can’t help but giggle about human houses tumble into the foam — oops!
Your lovely pantoum has taught me so much about this wonder. Thank you!
Okay– femur and daydreamer is an INSPIRED rhyme. Love it! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve come for the lizard picture and stayed for his view! Wow, I love this so much, and the fact that it’s also a pantoum is the cherry on top. Never mind that we lose our houses to the surf.. he can shed his tail, and keep going. Western Fence Lizards – any lizards, really- are the best.
Denise, your lizard is a quick little animal. Thanks for the details you uncovered. The photo matches your line, “Your deep sunny pushups”. I love femurs and daydreamer for a rhyming duo.
I lived for some years in Southern California and saw lots of these. You sure brought me back with your eloquent poem. It never occurred to me that their toes are longer than their femurs. Wow!
Denise, that wonderfully named lizard has been suitably honoured in your ode.-Darting and dashing safely, young Wizard…’ You have done the spirit of Pablo Neruda much honour here.
You had me at “Western Fence Lizard” and I cheered this creature’s existence and persistence all the way through your ode!
Okay, I don’t know how you did it, but when I read Wizard I did NOT think “oh, lame rhyme for lizard”–I BELIEVED it! This poem flicks in so many interesting directions, does not require too much discipline of itself. Wonderful. The anti-spam word this week is “myriad mu”.🌞
I love this guy and he sure has a nice view, too! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
Sunny pushups! Love that. And…
No worries for you where you build your home
If your tail is caught it can safely shed
As human houses tumble into the foam
So much about the resilience of these animals and the follies of humans here.
Also–those toes!