Some of your will remember, on Earth Day, I posted a copy of Flanders and Swann's Hippopotamus Song. Now I give you a poem by Arthur Guiterman on the same subject - simply because I like it!
Habits of the Hippopotamus
by Arthur Guiterman
The hippopotamus is strong
and huge of head and broad of bustle;
the limbs on which he rolls along
are big with hippopotomuscle.
He does not greatly care for sweets
like ice cream, apple pie or custard,
but takes to flavour what he eats
a little hippopotomustard.
The hippopotomus is true
to all his principles, and just;
he always trys his best to do
the things one hippopotomust.
He never rides in trucks or trams,
in taxicabs or omnibusses,
and so keeps out of traffic jams
and other hippopotomusses.
My favorite (until now):
ReplyDeleteThe Pelican
by Dixon Lanier Merritt
What a wonderful bird is the pelican:
His bill will hold more than his belican;
He can take in his beak
Food enough for a week,
But I'm damned if I see how the helican.
Love the playful lyrics...and the message. He is true to all his principles...
ReplyDeleteAnd why wouldn't anyone? Thanks for showing us another fun poem, Jinksy.
ReplyDeleteGreat amusing poetry for Thursday, I love it. I recently saw a feature on the hippopotomus, Animal Planet. Geez those lumbering obese (not really-massive muscles) can put out some respectible m.p.h. numbers.
ReplyDeleteFun! You are so inspiring with your clever word-plays.
ReplyDelete;^)
This is great, a real tongue twister!
ReplyDeleteCJ xx
No wonder you like this one, dear Jinks!! It is so delightfully playful! I adore it! You find and write the most wonderful poems! Full of fun, imagery and witty wordplay! Love you, Janine XO
ReplyDeleteWhat fun that was to read! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHippopotomuscle! Got to get me some of that. Feeling tired today. Maybe I need to use some of the hippopotomustard. Such a cute poem.
ReplyDeleteI loved it, thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite poems are such as this one - whimsical, humorous, full of delightful wordplay. Thanks for giving me a smile today, Jinksy!
ReplyDeletethis is silly and fun, jinksy, thanks for taking the time to post it. definately put a smile on my face :)
ReplyDeletei did not know that a hippopotamus was true and just in his princiles, where do you get this from, scripture and verse i will need, i would have thought that a hippo would be careless about true and just princples, or prinicapls, oh dear all i need now is for rhymes wi to correct me on my tense of that there word>>>anywho, who the heck knows that much about hippos anyway>?????????
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun poem, so much humour there - er - but, you've put me in mind for a post of my own here.. I almost came a real cropper once, escaped by the skin of my teeth from a few of these (when I was caught short) in Kenya.. eeeeek!
ReplyDeleteIt is a real fun poem with a very catchy rhythm.
ReplyDeleteNuts in May
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and hadn't heard it before.
ReplyDeleteNouns do not have tense.
ReplyDeleteRWP - I, for one, never said they did...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Mr. Guiterman's delightful poem, Jinksy! A first reading, for me.
ReplyDeleteRe: previous post -- I hope your internal gyroscope has settled down. You're right about the taxi driver, of course; angels may be found in all sorts of disguises.
I love this. It would make a lovely illustrated childrens book.
ReplyDeleteMy tongue had to work hard to get around that one!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this, Jinksy. It's a poem I enjoyed reading aloud and will read aloud to some small people, too.
ReplyDeleteYES, BUT I DID MENTION TENSE AND RHMSEE WITH WIT HAD TO CORRECT ME...IT IS IN HIM TO CORRECT ANY AND ALL NONSENSE IN ME
ReplyDelete