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Wild Animals In Verse

Today I'm going wild. Wild animal that is... 

The crocodile and the warthog might not rate highly on a most popular animal list, but they do possess some fascinating traits, and so I am sharing poems about these wild things, these far from mild things. 

Crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. I have made a point of visiting them in Kakadu National Park, from a safe viewing distance. I wanted to obtain some snaps without getting snapped myself. 

The Warthog is a wild, somewhat unsociable member of the pig family found in grassland, savanna, and woodland in sub-Saharan Africa.

The world of poetry is no stranger to poems about animals, but I doubt these two are overly represented... 




 



Warthogs

Warthog, wide jawboned face
With dangerous tusks
Struts across the open plain
All warty and snorty
Its tail pointing up
Like an aerial.
 
Warthog, too lazy to hunt
munches on the remains of dead animals
Or grazes on grass and plants
 
Warthog, who sleep in burrows
Stolen from aardvarks
Is too lazy to dig a shelter.
 
Warthog, looking ferocious
Unlikely to win a beauty contest -ever!
Contents itself wallowing in muddy pools
A warthog makeover
Free of sunburn
And parasites.


Alan j Wright





 




Prehistoric Predator

Gliding through the murky water,
Eyes snap-locked on its prey.
Silent assassin,
Waiting for strike time.
Waiting,
Waiting
For that certain moment.
 
It lunges
The water churns.
Blood in its nostrils,
Teeth in its prey,
Death rolling fury
Away,
Away.
 
The victim drowns.
The monster dines
Before gliding away.
Ancient reptile,
Calculating
Crocodile. 

Alan j Wright


It is Friday, Poetry Friday to be precise and this time our host is Matt Forrest Essenwine. Matt's post celebrates the longevity of his blog, the diverse interpretation of rainbows and the joy of participating in book events. 



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Comments

  1. Irene Latham3 October 2025 at 21:43

    Alan, I love that you chose to focus on less popular animals! And you're helping me out: I am teaching poetry workshops for a local riverkeeper organization on the theme of "wild." I will add this to the list of "wild" directions to go. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 October 2025 at 22:57

      That news pleases me, Irene. So glad my focus has added to the wildness!

      Delete
  2. Anonymous3 October 2025 at 22:12

    Love the poems, Alan, esp. the line "warty and snorty" - indeed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright3 October 2025 at 22:59

      Thank you. Warty and snorty just seemed so apt for these creatures and their features.

      Delete
  3. jama4 October 2025 at 03:12

    I'm sure these less popular animals are thrilled to be given the spotlight today with your fine poems. I'm much happier reading about them than meeting them in person. Echoing the admiration for "warty and snorty." :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright4 October 2025 at 09:59

      These animals need an agent, Jama. Thank you for your response. 'Warty and snorty' was a most fortuitous find.

      Delete
  4. Jane @ www.raincitylibrarian.ca4 October 2025 at 05:39

    As a child who say The Lion King in theaters, warthogs will always have a place in my heart. <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright4 October 2025 at 10:00

      Ah yes, The Lion King. It certainly caused warthogs no image problems, Jane.

      Delete
  5. Tabatha4 October 2025 at 05:55

    I liked learning that warthogs are lazy. It makes them seem a little cuter? Maybe that's just them being snorty with aerial tails. (Crocodiles are truly scary. I wonder if you could make them cute too?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright4 October 2025 at 10:02

      Making crocodiles cute is beyond my remit, Tabatha. I give them a wide berth.

      Delete
  6. Patricia Franz4 October 2025 at 14:04

    Ya gotta love a lazy warthog! I mean, it has survived by being lazy, right?? But NO THANK YOU on the crocs. They are nightmare material for me -- and your "Blood in nostrils/teeth in prey/Death rolling fury" does NOT help (well done on the visuals)!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright4 October 2025 at 15:45

      Patricia, your response to my crocodile poem has alerted me to the fact that I have done their image little in the way of a favour. Oh well, they are really their own worst enemy and their attitude to others is appalling.

      Delete
    2. Susan T.4 October 2025 at 20:10

      "All warty and snorty"! Now I want to see a warthog in action. These two here make delightful (in their un-beautiful way) subjects for poems. Their appalling nature is sure to appeal to my second-grade friends to whom I read each week. Thanks, Alan!

      Delete
    3. Alan j Wright4 October 2025 at 22:53

      Kids often find gross things strangely appealing, so I take your point Susan that these 'unbeautiful' creature may well gain their approval.

      Delete
  7. Linda Mitchell4 October 2025 at 21:20

    Oh, those warthogs...so lazy and ugly they're cute. I agree, they are not over represented. Wouldn't a collection (hint) of poems about these frat-boy sounding animals be fun for kids? I think so.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright4 October 2025 at 22:56

      So ugly they're cute- I get it. Thanks for the hint, Linda. I'm talking to my neighbourhood spider right now about a possible interview.

      Delete
  8. Mary Lee5 October 2025 at 07:24

    You really brought these two dangerous/potentially dangerous animals to life...from the safe distance of a poem!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright5 October 2025 at 09:57

      Mary Lee, that's it for me- 'from the safe distance of a poem.' Glad you got the picture.

      Delete

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