(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!)