GROWING UP DOWN UNDER by Russ McKay

Posted on May 24, 2010
Filed Under Tweens | Leave a Comment

It was warm…it was calm

Down under my Mom

And Oh, by the way, it was dark

I was still in my shell

And as far as could tell

Hatching’s no walk in the park

But I had this egg tooth

And I worked on the roof

Of the leathery shell holding me

I did start to get through

But there’s more work to do

With a bigger hole I’d be free

There was plenty of mud

And some other crud

But I guess my new home this would be

As I kicked off my shell

I noticed a smell

With my nose it did disagree

I’m a mammal I find

But I’m not sure what kind

I’ve no neck and I’ve got webbed feet

My bill’s like a duck

But with any luck

I’m something I think will be neat!

“You’re a platypus you see”

My mommy told me

‘Though I’ve got no one to tell

I can’t begin to pronounce it

But I’ll never renounce it

Yet it’s a name I can’t even spell

When a flat tailed behind

Bumped into mine

Mom said that was my brother’s bottom

So my family was small

Me and Bro’ that was all

I’m kinda glad that I’ve got ‘im

Yes we were just two

Hardly a zoo

But I found that was good for Mothers

Just two mouths to feed

There was no greed

Like you find with some mammals of others

My Mother had hair

But mine was no where

‘though she said I’d get furry in time

I’ll just muddle through

‘Til my fur it is due

It should give me more grip in this slime

I noticed one morning

When it was dawning

Mom went out of the burrow to feed

When she was done eating

She returned to our greeting

She then let us both quench our need

She’d pull us in tightly

With her flipper held lightly

We snuggled and had our fill

Then she’d leave the nest

And we’d get our rest

With our flippers tucked under our bill

Then one special morning

With nary a warning

Mom hauled us out of the burrow

The light hurt my eyes

But what a surprise

We met Dad who began lessons thorough

He taught us to dive

And to swim and survive

He showed us the spurs on his feet

They shoot poisonous juice

Makes attackers yell “Truce”

Don’t you think that that’s really neat?

Mom and Dad say we’re special

And it’s official

We’re kinda part mammal…part bird

Some say “Ridiculous”

A mammal oviparous

Still others say we’re absurd

But just like you

We’re animals too

Although I agree we’re quite strange

God made us all

And we should stand tall

Regardless of who calls us names

So I’ll do my thing

And hope I can bring

My own kind of balance to nature

You do yours too

Do what you do

No matter what your nomenclature

In one world we live

It is better to give

Your talents and gifts to mankind

Don’t think badly of others

Treat them as brothers

Ignore their flat beak and behind

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