GREEN ROOF

A roof that grows grasses
All others surpasses.
I'm sure that it will
Reduce your energy bill.
That's a test it passes.

A green roof will do you no wrong
And will last near twice as long.
It's a thrill to grow legumes
Above all your bedrooms,
And it's not done be a throng.

It's a fine thing that you do
When you convert C-oh-two.
If the weight is too much for your home,
You can grow roof plants in foam.
Reduced runoff is a benefit too.

POLAR PLUNGES

Hardy fund-raising gals and guys
Have put polar plunging on the rise.
These crazy folks abound,
But can enough of them be found
For this growing enterprise?

THERMOTEX HEATING PADS

When they pitch heat pad Thermotex,
They tout its infrared effects.
Should I be suspicious?
Or is it right auspicious
That heat it deep down directs?

Unlike other heat pads known,
It sends heat down to the bone.
Praises it receives galore.
You can't buy it at a store,
But its supplier you can phone.

T. Z. ROBERTS' CLOCK

This amazing work of art
Is a moving solar chart
Which keeps you right in tune
With the phases of the moon
If that warms your heart.

This amazing old clock
Continues to tick and tock.
Thomas Roberts you can thank.
You can see it at the bank.
There's only one in stock.

A farmer of many skills
From Kentucky's rolling hills,
Musician, schoolmaster, carpenter,
Astronomer, painter, poet, inventor,
Roberts found ways to pay his bills.

DRUG TESTING

When the issue is contested,
We've the right to not be tested.
So if the subjects are rebelling,
Unless the reason is compelling,
It should not be suggested.

MARRIED TOO LONG

We've been married way too long.
Once our love was strong.
We're so different from each other
That it seems a lot of bother
To try to get along.

We've been married way too long.
We wonder what went wrong.
Too much we don't expect.
With patience and respect,
We sort of get along.

Divorce would be so wrong.
We couldn't sing that song.
Sad would be the news
If our marriage we should lose.
We've been married so very long.

MLB'S BATS

Maple is prone to smash
When balls with it they bash.
So suppliers they attempt to train
To pay attention to its grain
When they could go back to ash.

PASSIVE HOUSE

PASSIVE HOUSE; MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL'S BATS

PASSIVE HOUSE

As around the house I sat,
I absorbed this news from Darmstadt.
Almost no heat passes
From a house that's passive,
And I'm impressed by that.

Air-tight with super insulation,
This house is a German innovation.
Its doors are special indeed.
For a furnace it has no need.
A heat exchanger is in its ventilation.

This house that's so amazing
Needs south windows facing.
This house that's called passive
Shouldn't sprawl or be too massive
And needs a special window casing.

Its construction is not too costly
Over there in Germany.
About its heat don't be stumped.
Its little heat is pumped.
It's as green as it can be.

MARSHMALLOW TEST

If you can early pass this test,
Your future will be blessed.
If gratification you can delay,
Success will be yours, they say.
You'll be among the best.

How does this test work?
Where does failure lurk?
Why is failure such a hex?
The anterior prefrontal cortex
Is where the successful perk.

SHOPLIFTING DOG

He wasn't after meat
Nor escaping summer's heat.
He came in to steal
A bone for his meal
And took it to the steet.

How did that dog know
Exactly where to go?
He'd not been in the store
A hundred times before,
But he wasn't slow.

CIVET CAT

If some day you meet a Civet,
Do you think you will survive it?
A Civet is not a cat,
And I will bet you that
You will easily outlive it.

EXOTIC SHORTHAIR CAT

If a Persian were sopping wet,
'Twould look like this, you can bet.
This Teddy-bear-like version
(Short-haired cousin of the Persian),
Is a flat-faced, gentle pet.

COAL ASH

How hazardous really is it
When fly ash comes to visit?
What should be the drill
When there is a spill?
Should the risk be more explicit?

Healthful stuff this is not.
Heavy metals it has got.
It has some arsenic.
That could make you sick,
And away it doesn't rot.

YORK CHOCOLATE CAT

Contented as a lap cat,
Is the friendly York Chocolate.
Its coat is long, fine and fluffy.
Its tail is large and fluffy.
Add smarts and energy to that.

VAN CAT

Except for marks on tails and ears,
White is how this beauty appears.
Playful cats that love to swim
And be with their owner all the time,
Turkish Vans are loving dears.

ZIBELINE CAT

In color it's like the sable.
Burmese is its other label.
Dark brown and attractive,
This cat is smart and active,
Curious, alert and able.

QUEEN CAT

The Queen is not a breed,
But for her there is a need.
The Queen cat is the mom.
The daddy is the Tom.
On that you're up to speed.

DETROIT

I'm so glad I'm no Detroiter.
I shan't go there to reconnoiter.
If, having to pass on through,
I should have to use the loo,
I surely wouldn't loiter.

Troubles, they have got 'em.
Everywhere they spot 'em.
If not in all creation,
Then surely in the nation,
Detroit ranks at the bottom.

Crime and unemployment
Stifle all enjoyment.
Problems are the city's fame.
Its team loses every game,
Crowning their annoyment.

When a crook is out on bail,
He can't get a drink of ale.
In prison he has got
Three hots and a cot.
So he'd rather be in jail.

LANDS END

An amazing thing this is.
It would be for any biz.
December sales at Lands End
Buck the economic trend.
Someone there must be a whiz!

STEM-CELL BREAKTHROUGH

In a lab dish, if you please,
They replicated a dread disease.
This breakthrough, I must tell,
Was with IPS stem cells.
Skin-derived cells are these.

RON ACE

His patent in the making
Is a colossal undertaking.
It's aimed at global warming.
How would it be performing?
No bets on it I'm making.

Is there lots of wisdom
In this refrigeration system
That shoots water in the air,
Half an inch worth everywhere,
Conceived high is his dome?

To mention, I should not neglect
That there are those who suspect
That, in spite of best intention,
This incredible invention
Could have the reverse effect.

WINTER SOLSTICE

It's something to think on
That the solstice has come and gone.
And I'm here to report
The day was duly short
Though it 'most 'scaped my attention.

THE HOLIDAY URGE SURGE

'Tis the season of the Nativity
And the surge in sexual activity
And, as never fails,
Trojan condom sales
Supporting this proclivity.

And statisticians remember
That at the end of December
There is in this connection
A spike in conceptions
And of births in September.

It's due to leisure and resolutions,
Alcohol, partying, and irresolution.
Like a festival of fertility
Related to pleasure and sociability,
It's almost a Christian institution.

CONSPIRACY

Genson says Rod will walk,
The government's case is merely talk --
A defense that's not worth a dime,
For talk can be a crime.
But will the jury balk?

MADISON'S BARS

If you don't control a bar,
It may be where troubles are.
It's a problem Madison knows,
And I would not suppose
All of them are five-star.

REV. HEGEDUSICH

I guess the Spirit moved him,
For he knew it behooved him
To chase in his vestments
A thief of church investments.
But the crook outhoofed him.

It helped the thief to run
That half the loot he jettisoned.
So, on the Lord's behalf,
The priest recovered half
On a street in Washington.

JUDGE "QUICK NICK"

He did it single-handed.
Speed the task demanded.
The judge ran down the crook,
To subdue him undertook,
And ended up sore-handed.

BETA

For Beta folks are mourning.
A pretty face was her adorning.
She'd had her share of scrapes
And was protected from other apes.
Her illness provided warning.

Surgery being no answer,
Beta died with uterine cancer.
She had two replacement hips,
Took her food in little sips,
And no longer was a dancer.

COED COLLEGE DORMS

To other norms I was conforming
Back when my norms were forming.
I know that in my student day
I thought I'd never see the day
Of college coed dorming.

But how was I to know?
That was fifty years ago!
Liberal is my alma mater.
I guess they've gotten smarter
Since "shacking up" was a no no.

To imagine can you begin
The times that I schooled in
When deans would not permit
And would have had a fit
Had students "lived in sin?!"

PANTHER

A panther you may see at large.
A powerful cat it is and large.
It can be a leopard or a jaguar.
A panther can even be a cougar
Living in a marsh.

A panther has the knack
To silently attack.
They're hiding near and far.
Although many of them are,
Not all of them are black.

CATS W, X, Y, AND Z

W WILDCAT (WILD)

The Old World Wildcat
Is about as big as a house cat.
Though it's small, it's tough.
When it's hungry enough
It likes to dine on rat.

X MANX (DOMESTIC)

There is no X cat.
I'm sorry about that.
But the rule we can bend
With X on the other end.
Let's use the Manx for that.


Y BOMBAY (DOMESTIC)

There is no Y cat.
Can't find one lean or fat.
The rule again let us bend,
Putting Y on the back end,
Using the Bombay for that.


Z Z CAT

There is no Z cat,
I can assure you of that.
It's the same story as Q.
There's nothing I can do
But give up on that.

EXCESS LEVY

In Randolph County things are tough.
School money there's not enough.
And there's no denying
In schools out there lying
Curricula are not up to snuff.

Kids get a good education in Elkins.
Not so, their Tygarts Valley kins.
For officials this is heavy.
Is the passage of a levy
Where their work begins?

Though it does dumbfound,
Recently, the need profound,
I'm sorry to report
The Chamber denied support,
And the levy was voted down.

Their problems it would ameliorate
If they would consolidate.
But, whatever be their reason,
This route is too displeasin'
For them to even contemplate.

CATS R THROUGH V

R RUSSIAN BLUE (DOMESTIC)

This cat has a peculiar hue.
In fact it's almost blue.
And, unlike any cougar,
It's frosted with powdered sugar.
I bet you think so too.

S SERVAL (WILD)

The Serval is medium-sized (no runt).
In the savannas it likes to hunt.
Unique is how this African cat appears --
Long legs and neck, small head, big ears.
It's hind legs are longer than its front.

S SNOW LEOPARD (WILD)

The Snow Leopard is the Ounce,
A name right easy to pronounce.
It's from Siberia, they say,
And on its favorite prey
It's right eager to pounce.

T TIGER (WILD)

The tiger is a mighty cat.
Have no doubt of that.
It surely will amaze ya,
This cat that lives in Asia
(India and places such as that).


U USSURI TIGER (WILD)

The rare Siberian Tiger
Is the Ussuri Tiger.
This tiger of Siberia
Is the tiger of Manchuria,
And it's the Amur Tiger.

V JAVANESE (DOMESTIC)

There is no V cat
That anywhere has sat.
But wait just a minute,
If V need only be in it,
Javanese helps us with that.

SOWELL SAYS

Have you ever wondered why
Some celebs take risks sky-high,
Needlessly playing the game
For little gain, these folks of fame?
Rules to them, they think, do not apply.

Due to favortism to them shown,
Star athletes can to this be prone.
And it can bring them shame
To replace the glory and fame
That they have known.

MESSAGE FROM GOETHE

If we see a person as he is,
Then, he will remain as he is.
But if we see him for what he might be,
That better person he will one day be.
There's truth here. Excuse the simplicity.

CATS L THROUGH Q

L LEOPARD (WILD)

In Africa but hard to spot
Are leopards with their spots.
For wily cats are these
That like to be in trees
And eat their prey ere it rots.

L LION (WILD)

The papa lion is the jungle king.
In Africa he does his thing.
He takes a lot of pride
In his lion pride,
But his lady does the hunting.

Africa is short on kangaroos.
So other meats the lion chews.
There are lions on the savanna.
If there are lions in Montana,
They're only in the zoos.

M MOUNTAIN LION (WILD)

North America's ferocious feline
Is a cougar and a mountain lion.
There also is a rumor
It's a panther and a puma.
About this I'd not be lying.

N NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT (DOMESTIC)

Careful the Wegie is and smart,
And it knows the hunter's art.
A thick and heavy coat
This cat is pleased to tote.
Its sweet expressions warm your heart.


O OCELOT (WILD)

The ocelot is the painted leopard.
With other cats compared,
It is of medium size.
About hunting it is wise
And for it well prepared.

P PERSIAN (DOMESTIC)

If a Persian cat you are knowing,
You know its coat is long and flowing,
Eyes and head are round, nose short and snubby.
With legs right short and body rather chubby,
This cat stays inside when it's snowing.


Q Q CAT

There is no Q cat,
And it's worse than that.
There's no way to skin it,
For no cat has Q in it.
Take my word for that.

ROD BLAGOJEVICH

Following tendencies in him latent,
The governor became too blatant.
He was a master of his craft,
The craft of "honest graft,"
And that to all is patent.

You can tell your kids about it.
There is no doubt about it.
This is behavior rank.
We have the cops to thank,
For we can do without it.

CATS F THROUGH K

F FISHING CAT (WILD)

Now here's an Asian cat
Whose fishing is down pat.
It can catch a fish
For its dainty dish
In just about nothing flat.

H HAVANA BROWN (DOMESTIC)

We can't help but note
Its chocolate brown coat.
With a body right muscular,
This cat surely will go far.
And yet, it shouldn't gloat.

I IBERIAN LYNX (WILD)

On the Net I found links
To the Iberian Lynx.
A few of them remain
Somewhere out in Spain.
Do you think this cat winks?

J JAGUAR (WILD)

What do you know about the Jaguar?
I don't mean the British car.
You may see one in the zoo
And a South American jungle too
If there someday you are.

K KODKOD (WILD)

Rare is South America's little Kodkod.
Small head, big feet, thick tail adorn its bod.
It eats rodents, birds, and bugs like crickets.
It nests under trees in bamboo thickets,
And that is really odd.

COLLEGE

I believe in college.
It should never be abolished.
There is no doubt about it.
Yet some folks do well without it.
Elsewhere they get their knowledge.

SNOWSHOE PARTY

The Snowshoe party we attended,
And it was simply splendid.
Thoughtfully it had been planned.
College folks lent a helping hand.
They should be commended.

ELAND

When you visit New Zealand,
Don't expect to see an Eland.
They're seen near the Cape of Good Hope.
There are several kinds of antelope,
But no others are this grand.

NATURAL GAS RUSH

Drillers the earth impale
Into the Marcellus shale
Near Houston, an old steel burg
And neighbor of Pittsburgh.
Natural gas their coming hails.

Exploration is in full bloom.
Houston is the center of the boom.
It isn't done by stealth.
Landowners hope for wealth.
For drillers, the diner makes room.

Houston's serenity is gone
As drill bits cut into stone.
Tankers clog roads for miles.
Gas men wearing smiles
Talk on their cell phones.

STATE OF EMERGENCY

Schools' good standing nixed.
Reactions to this are mixed.
State of emergency declared.
To what is this compared?
How soon will it be fixed?

DON'T BE SHY

Don't be shy around the house.
Don't be timid like a mouse.
Don't be afraid to say "I love you;
I'm always thinking of you."
But not to another's spouse.

THE GINGHAM DRESS

There is a legend -- perhaps it's true --
About a Harvard president who
To would-be donors big was rude,
Turned them away, it's understood.
So they founded Stanford U.

TYPES OF THINKERS

What kind of thinker are y'all?
(Into what group do you fall?)
I was surprised to find
Of thinkers there are three kinds,
And that is all.

They're executive, judicial, and legislative.
Perhaps the judicial are deliberative.
Into one type you're loosely glued.
Perhaps it can be construed
That the legislative are creative.

And what kind does it appear
Is the typical engineer?
We know he's quickly spotted
Due to traits to him allotted
Which never disappear.

DIANE MCGARVEY

We give our thanks to Diane McGarv
Who prefers a diet low in carb.
If from this name she is reeling,
She should know I know the feeling,
For oft I'm called Bernie the Barb.

And about Diane, I'm glad to see
That she shares a trait with me,
Being slow on the ups but on the downs
Passing everyone in town and all around.
I hope it helps her beat Mary and Dee.

About Diane, I'm happy to know
She plays piano and likes to sew.
She cannot pass a porta-pot,
And that troubles her quite a lot
'Cause she'd rather lead than follow.

Diane knows all the trails too,
And likes to find running places new.
I've a hunch this red-haired gal
Has many a Boise running pal.
Shortcuts she knows and quite a few.

She's a friendly gal and never curt
Who likes to wear a running skirt.
Though not one of us really knows,
We can all suppose
She limits her intake of dessert.

Diane loves her dog, Homer.
Its predecessor was a roamer.
It was kind of dense
Though it climbed the fence,
But neither is true of Homer.

In case you haven't noticed,
Diane has seen a hypnotist.
When too much water she's got,
Behind a bush she will squat
If the trail right remote is.

Diane's asthma is no worse when it's colder.
She has a tattoo on her shoulder.
For six years she's given the club her best.
With Homer, Jim and kids she needs a rest,
Having grown six years older.

Although her duties she is completing,
She'll still attend our friendly meetings.
She won't stay cooped in her abode.
We'll see Diane on the road
When she is competing.

DOGS KNOW FAIRNESS

DOGS KNOW FAIRNESS

You make an error
If you think dogs don't know or care.
They'll do for you to their ability,
But if not treated with equity,
They're out of there.

A dog isn't about to play
For less than equal pay.
At that point the dog is through,
Won't even look at you,
But turns and walks away.


The News & Advance, 9 December 2008:

Study: Dogs have sense of fairness

Animal will walk away if it has been cheated

"Ask them to do a trick and they'll give it a try. For a reward, sausage say, they'll happily keep at it."

"But if one dog gets no reward, and then sees another get sausage for doing the same trick, just try to get the first one to do it again."

"Indeed, he may even turn away and refuse to look at you."

"Dogs, like people and monkeys, seem to have a sense of fairness."

"The dogs sat side-by-side with an experimenter in front of them. In front of the experimenter was a divided food bowl with pieces of sausage on one side and brown bread on the other."

"The dogs were asked to shake hands and each could see what reward the other received."

"When one dog got a reward and the other didn't, the unrewarded animal stopped playing."

"When both got a reward all was well."

--------------------------------------------

Helen and I arrived here in Madison, WI about 5:30 PM yesterday (Friday) after about 6-1/2 hours of driving from the Indianapolis area and were greeted by an accumulation of about 10 inches of snow which had fallen during Thursday night. The Interstate highways and the highways leading into Madison had been completely cleared but a lesser road leading to and the streets in Eric's neighborhood had only been partially cleared. We had no significant problems. Between Indianapolis and Bloomington, Ill and immediately north of Bloomington we experienced light mist, and off-and-on fog, wind, and fear of but not actual road ice from freezing rain. As we progressed northward from Bloomington, driving conditions improved, but we then had problems with dirt kicked up by trucks obscuring our view and had to stop twice to clean the windshield. (Our windshield washer line is plugged.)

HEROIC HOMELESS DOG

Homeless dog becomes a hero
Down in Santiago.
Rescuing dog risks its life
Rescuing dog that lost its life.
(The latter's vital signs were zero.)

The dog of valor
No doubt knows about squalor.
Whatever its logic,
It braved the fast traffic,
Though it had not a collar.

Many were they who watched the scene
On their home video screen,
Impressed by what this dog managed.
But their hero just vanished
And hasn't since been seen.

Might the dog it dragged from the median
Have been quite a comedian,
A critter of canine fame
That had grown old and lame
But is no encyclopedia in?

RUSSIAN BLUE (DOMESTIC)

This cat has a peculiar hue.
In fact it's almost blue.
And, unlike any cougar,
It's frosted with powdered sugar.
I bet you think so too.

NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT (DOMESTIC)

Careful the Wegie is and smart,
And it knows the hunter's art.
A thick and heavy coat
This cat is pleased to tote.
Its sweet expressions warm your heart.

HAVANA BROWN (DOMESTIC)

We can't help but note
Its chocolate brown coat.
With a body right muscular,
This cat surely will go far.
And yet, it shouldn't gloat.

DEVON REX (DOMESTIC)

From England comes this cat
Whose coat is delicate.
Its hair is short and curly.
Its a puss that's seldom surly.
When it is, just make it scat.

EGYPTIAN MAU (DOMESTIC)

EGYPTIAN MAU 1

Mau is an Egyptian word for cat,
And this mau is a very smart cat.
The only spotted domestic cat in the book,
This feline's face wears a worried look.
What do you think is the reason for that?


EGYPTIAN MAU 2

Mau is an Egyptian word for cat,
And this mau is a very smart cat.
The only spotted domestic cat in the book,
This feline's face wears a worried look,
And nobody knows the reason for that.


EGYPTIAN MAU 3

Mau is an Egyptian word for cat,
And this mau is a very smart cat.
The only spotted domestic cat in the book
Is this pussy with a worried look,
This feline that resembles a wildcat.

AGES OF DEPENDENCE

On others we totally depend
When we're at life's front end.
As so well we know,
It can be likewise so
When we get to life's rear end.

ALLEY CAT

If there's a cat named Wally
Living in your alley,
You can be very sure
He'll make friends with her
If you've a cat named Sally.

HUNTING CREEK TRAIL HIKE

Our leader to us disclosed
That the Parkway had been closed.
This was because of snow,
And because this was so,
An alternate hike was proposed.

How well I remember
That cold day in December.
We drove up Hunting Creek Road
Well above the highest abode,
We three NBATC members.

To its end we rode.
Then with Ken, who had no load,
Up the hill hell-bent
On the trail we went,
Which is an extenson of the road.

As we went our merry way,
We crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway.
'Twas a windy fridge
Up on Thunder Ridge
As the AT came into play.

Just as I had that hunch,
It was time to have lunch.
So we went round a bend
And got out of the wind,
And that helped a bunch.

Then the hike turned tame.
For Ken said 'If it's all the same,
Since the ridge we've found,
Let's turn ourselves around
And go back the way we came.'

The miles the hike constituted
Could well be disputed.
Seven is what Doug said;
It's four per a sign I read,
But five of them I computed

FAT DOG SURVIVES

Now the dog is warm and jolly,
Snoozing under Christmas holly.
Ultracold may suit a Samoyed,
But it's a good thing to avoid
If you're a border collie.

Most dogs would die, I'm supposin',
If all night to a sidewalk frozen.
An obese dog withstood it.
'Twas layers of fat that did it.
Neglect charges the press is disclosin.'

Owner couldn't get it loose.
(Her efforts were no use.)
But she didn't get uptight,
Checking oft, finding dog all right.
At least that's her excuse.

She didn't do as she oughta,
Which is to use hot water.
Of that she didn't think.
If she isn't in the clink,
She's at least in hot water.

CHRISTMAS CLASSIC

Because it's not far from here,
We ran it again this year.
It may not be fantastic,
But the Peaks of Otter Classic
Is a race that we hold dear.

CAT STATS

These are feline stats:
There are thirty-six wild cats --
What I mean is species
That in woodlands drop their feces --
And some umpty-ump domestic cats.

HAPPINESS

As if we needed reminding,
It's a scientific finding:
Happiness is contagious.
But this part is outrageous:
It's not completely binding.

For there is this little quirk:
It doesn't apply at work.
To explain this, I'm at a loss
Unless you have a boss
Who's an extraordinary jerk.

Happy friends may help you amass it,
But strangers can receive or pass it.
It's not just what you think or do;
Strangers determine your happiness too.
Of the finding, this is a facet.

MEXICO'S DRUG WAR

There's a sorry situation
In our Latin neighbor nation.
Though it's sad to tell,
The good guys aren't doing well
In this conflagration.

Having the inclination
To maximize intimidation,
The men in drug cartels
Do this very well
By torture and decapitation.

BLOODY DIAMONDS

A corrupt, treacherous, murderous place
A fortune or a meager living to chase.
Double-crossing, back-stabbing,
Zimbabwe diamonds grabbing.
A bloody, brief, and hellish life to face.

If lucky, you can make a killing
If to risk your life you're willing.
It's dirty, and it's back-breaking.
An enormous risk you'd be taking
Even if there were no killing.


Los Angeles Times, 4 December 2008:

Death stalks a field of gems

Diamonds lure illicit miners who dodge bullets as regime thugs loot rich trove of Zimbabwe's wild east.

GREEN POWER

California is very keen
On power that is green.
Solar and wind are both
Now industries of growth,
And they're also clean.

ZIMBABWE

Its economy has gone to the dogs.
People are wrestling wart hogs.
Starvation is that acute.
It's only wild fruit
That keeps millions above the bogs.

PERSIAN (DOMESTIC)

If a Persian cat you are knowing,
You know its coat is long and flowing,
Eyes and head are round, nose short and snubby.
With legs right short and body rather chubby,
This cat stays inside when it's snowing.

ABYSSINIAN (D0MESTIC)

A ABYSSINIAN (DOMESTIC)

An Abyssinian cat has the stature
Of an Egyptian feline statue.
Except for facial markings, sir,
Single-colored is its fur.
I hope yours is not a scratcher.


A ALLEY CAT (DOMESTIC)

If there's a cat named Wally
Living in your alley,
You can be very sure
He'll make friends with her
If you've a cat named Sally.

B BOBCAT (WILD)

BOBCAT 1

This is the bobcat.
It's not Bob, the cat.
But surely you will find
That this cat doesn't mind
If you call it that.


BOBCAT 2

Here is the Bobcat.
Have you seen such a cat?
I don't know the tale
That explains its wee tail,
And sorry I am for that.


BOBCAT 3

Here is the Bobcat.
In North America is its habitat.
And presently you will find
With a wee tail it's designed.
I don't know the why of that.


C CHEETAH (WILD)

The Cheetah runs at sixty miles per.
Spotted is the Cheetah's fur.
The Cheetah is a slender cat.
You'll never see one fat.
It lives in Africa, sir.

D DEVON (DOMESTIC)

From England comes this cat
Whose coat is delicate.
Its hair is short and curly.
Its a puss that's seldom surly.
When it is, just make it scat.

KODKOD

Rare is South America's little Kodkod.
Small head, big feet, thick tail adorn its bod.
It eats rodents, birds, and bugs like crickets.
It nests under trees in bamboo thickets,
And that is really odd.

HEARTLESS

What sets this girl apart?
Her four months with no heart.
It took a lot of love
To keep her blood on the move
With two pumps state-of-art.

IBERIAN LYNX

On the Net I found links
To the Iberian Lynx.
A few of them remain
Somewhere out in Spain.
Do you think this cat winks?

GEOFFREY'S CAT

GEOFFREY'S CAT 1

Do you suppose it was a chef?
Or even yet a ref?
Or a friend of his named Ben?
Well, who was it then,
Who named a cat for Jeff?


GEOFFREY'S CAT 2

This little South American cat
Eats insects. lizards, things like that.
Way South you may see it suddenly
For no cat is more southerly.
I doubt you'll see one fat.

SIAM

How really glad I am
Not to be in Siam!
For, with the red shirts
And the yellow shirts,
It's a crisis there what am.

FISHING CAT

Now here's an Asian cat
Whose fishing is down pat.
It can catch a fish
For its dainty dish
In just about nothing flat.

USSURI TIGER

The rare Siberian Tiger
Is the Ussuri Tiger.
This tiger of Siberia
Is the tiger of Manchuria,
And it's the Amur Tiger.

SNOW LEOPARD

The Snow Leopard is the Ounce,
A name right easy to pronounce.
It's from Siberia, they say,
And on its favorite prey
It's right eager to pounce.

SERVAL

The Serval is medium-sized (no runt).
In the savannas it likes to hunt.
Unique is how this African cat appears --
Long legs and neck, small head, big ears.
It's hind legs are longer than its front.

JAGUAR

What do you know about the Jaguar?
I don't mean the British car.
You may see one in the zoo
And a South American jungle too
If there someday you are.

LEOPARD

In Africa but hard to spot
Are leopards with their spots.
For wily cats are these
That like to be in trees
And eat their prey ere it rots.

BOBCAT

BOBCAT 1

This is the bobcat.
It's not Bob, the cat.
But surely you will find
That this cat doesn't mind
If you call it that.


BOBCAT 2

Here is the Bobcat.
Have you seen such a cat?
I don't know the tale
That explains its wee tail,
And sorry I am for that.


BOBCAT 3

Here is the Bobcat.
In North America is its habitat.
And presently you will find
With a wee tail it's designed.
I don't know the why of that.

NEW KIA PLANT

West Point, Georgia says to Kia
'We're sure glad to see ya.
For Detroit we don't mourn.
We don't call bulgogi foreign,
Though you brought it from Korea.'

WILDCAT

The Old World Wildcat
Is about as big as a house cat.
Though it's small, it's tough.
When it's hungry enough
It likes to dine on rat.

MAMMOTH DNA

A mammoth’s DNA has not been lost
Thanks to its hair preserved in permafrost.
Long, long time that mammoth napped.
Yet its DNA has now been mapped,
Never mind the cost.

In twenty years, due to cloning,
A living mammoth vets may be owning.
And perhaps they will.
But is this a skill
That they should be honing?

MAGNAPINNA SQUID

Have you heard about the elbowed squid
That in the depths till now has hid?
Its elbows are its attraction.
Were this critter at an auction,
Perhaps they'd help it bid.

But this creature is only a kid
Compared to the giant squid,
Which also lives in the deeps
And still gives me the creeps
Just like it always did.

At a depth of four thousand feet,
It doesn't sweat the summer's heat.
Where the pressue all around
Is seventeen hundred pounds,
It finds things it can eat.