A hard shield To protect from the outside Yet so gullible And easy to fool

Sometimes others Try to catch them as prey But no matter how hard they try Their shell pushes them away

Engraved with stories, etches of time Their shell is decorated and worth a thousand dimes They hide inside when danger is near But really, are not something others fear

Protected and safe Inside their home Much awaits On their journey long They proved to themselves On the very first day They deserve to be protected And protected they stay

Apple of my eye, With a face so sweet, A love so deep, A family now complete.

A coat that glows like the summer sun, Golden and bright, As you run and run. Zooming through the fields, Never once outrun. Bounding with joy until the day is done.

Your paw— A print forever on my heart, A loyal friend, right from the start. I dread the day we’ll have to part, But forever you’ll stay, With every beat of my heart.

(Special thanks to Amorie who suggested draft 44. Each stanza is a different animal! See how many you can guess!) ———

Jumping in the trees Grabbing branches with a tail Maybe they have fleas But they pick them off With a practiced ease

Soaring through the breeze Bright crimson flashes Singing, hitting the right keys Most beautiful against the snow Where they don’t even freeze

I have a stuffed one of these My mom thinks it’s a raccoon It’s not, but no matter my pleas Even with the red, never gets it It’s probably more of a tease

——— (This was a struggle to have them rhyme or even slant rhyme! I took some liberties to get those rhymes 😂. I’m glad Amorie suggested this draft to force myself to finish it! That last stanza is very rough, but it’s done!)

His little trunk Gets a dunk In the water he plays in At dusk Ivory tusks Peeking through his gums His floppy right ear Can hear The bothersome fly buzzing around him He gives his head a shake The earth beneath will quake When he reaches his adult size Nothing will escape his eyes

You must look up to me, Yet my feet are on the ground, You must pet me, Yet not all of me at once, You must call me over, I will come to you, You must feed me, I like it when you do.

I am gentle and quiet, Not a sound I do make, I can run like the wind I can bend like a snake

I can make children smile with a twist and a turn I can make adults laugh with my animal charm I love open fields I love tall greenery I hope you come visit where I live and run free Where am I?

claws sharp and long legs quick and strong a shady place is where you lay but in the sun you tend to run and with great will you make the kill that’s how you live that’s how you lie throughout the day into the night

Oh how I love the sound As your hoofs hit the ground Thunder it seems some would say But to me it’s music to my ears it plays Trot or canter, gallop or buck My favourite pet, from first ride, you stuck

~Fortis

In shadows deep, it roams unseen, With eyes that gleam, a silent dream. Through verdant woods and moonlit glen, It moves with grace, beyond our ken.In feathered cloak or fur so fine, It dances lightly, in twilight's shine. Its song a whisper on the breeze, A melody that sways the trees.With nimble feet and steady pace, It weaves through time and empty space. A creature of both earth and air, With secrets hidden, beyond compare.In dreams, it wanders, wild and free, A symbol of what we yearn to be. Though its form remains a mystery, Its spirit speaks in harmony.

It lives in the jungles It climbs up the trees It pounces on its prey And it rustles through the leaves It’s as dark as the night and as gorgeous as the day Even though it’s dangerous I wouldn’t stay away It’s sharp teeth may be threatening and it’s size may be a fright But just because its dangerous doesn’t mean it can’t be bright It’s smart and strategic It’s fast and its strong This wonderful feline is gotten all wrong

the creature gasps for air choking spluttering

what kind of jellyfish was that? __ it wonders

before sinking down, down into the deep, dark abyss

with the rest of its friends