Jiving in the Jungle

Zulu was a zebra who loved zapping on his zither
Roger the rhinoceros rattled his rattler with raucous rigour
Leo a leonine lion loved to languorously play his lute
And Flavia the flaming flamingo fluttered flirtatiously on her flute

These beasts were boldly bashing and belligerently banging
Cavorting capriciously, in clamorous chorus they were clanging
Deafening decibels were with deliberation being delivered
Surrounding shiny, shimmering shrubs shuddered, shook and shivered

Bella the blindingly bewitching butterfly blithely blew on her bassoon
Thomas the odd toed tapir tooted a lively tune on his tromboon
Ella Elephant elegantly and efficiently whirled her trunk
And Placido the plucky Platypus played a Pulalu with a pleasant plunk

Suddenly the strident symphony was silenced in a second
Bob the boa constrictor had drawn forth his baton as a weapon
Then through the still night air floated a pure sweet sound
Meerkat Molly mellifluously, melodiously and mellowly from her mound

Sang sorrowfully and sadly of a tale from a time long past
Of a meerkat who met a meerkat, but their love it didn’t last
The members of the orchestra listened and they wept
But then they cranked it up again and started off from whence they’d left

(Sydney, Australia - 2009)

Alessandra Liverani

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