A Pain in the Ass! Old World I might beOf the clan of monkeyLook at my faceYou might see a traceFor my eyes clearly sayYou need keep me at bayIf mischief be ‘King’Then I reign supremeMy actions do tellI’m straight out of HellI’m known for my sassAnd a pain in the ass! ~ Poem and Chacma Baboon capture, A Pain in the Ass! © Jerry L. Ferrara, Zimbabwe, Africa
~ Saddle-billed Stork capture © Jerry L. Ferrara from Zimbabwe, Africa
A Mirror Image An inquisitive Waterbuck near Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River pauses pregnantly near a still pool of water casting back a mirror image of itself. ~ Anecdote and Waterbuck capture, A Mirror Image © Jerry L. Ferrara
That Simian Stare In Tanzania, Africa, a Black-faced Vervet monkey gives pause to stare into the lens. Psychotic, neurotic that simian staredevious eyes hint at what’s there … ~ Anecdote, poem and Black-faced Vervet monkey capture, That Simian Stare © Jerry L. Ferrara
Ears Galore With ears so largeI do take chargeWith them each dayI locate my preyFor I can hearboth far and nearBut there is moreto ears galoreBlood vessel-denseeach cools and ventsTheir surface largehelps heat dischargeI do confessthey quite expressMy current moodthey do alludeIt’s just my waywith these pinnae ~ Poem and Painted Wolf capture, Ears Galore © Jerry L. Ferrara, Zimbabwe, Africa
Vicious Lies His orbs seem kindbut I’ll remindSuch feline eyestell vicious liesThose well-set jawsshould give one pauseHis lips conceala treach’rous dealBecause beneathare rending teethAnd when eyes flareteeth rip and tearSo bewarethat gentle stareFor if you erryou might not fare ~ Poem and African Lion capture, Vicious Lies © Jerry L. Ferrara, Zimbabwe, Africa
The River Horse Oft it’s called the ‘river horse’…misnomers do aboundThe Hippopotamus is, of course,sometimes in rivers foundBut naming it a horse in factis but a fallacyFor the hippos’ genetic trackis not equine, you seeIts closest kin does seem to hailfrom the briny seaAnd thus it is the mighty whaleits nearest lineage be ~ Poem and Hippopotamus capture, The River Horse © Jerry L. Ferrara from the Zambezi River, Zimbabwe
Allogroom You are a member of my prideAnd so in you I will confideTo stay in ‘touch’ and allogroomA strategy that seems a boonIt keeps us close and healthy, tooPromotes less stress, good vibes ensueAnd with this comes cohesivenessSo for the moment, there’s less stress ~ Poem and African Lions capture, Allogroom © Jerry L. Ferrara
The Bounding Bovid Excelling at the art of leaping, an Impala buck gracefully bolts skyward. In my copy of Richard D. Estes’ The Safari Companion, the author tells of how the elegant antelope is capable of vaulting heights ten feet high and up to thirty-six feet in length. The Impala’s athletic prowess is a definite asset in the bounding bovids’ “survival kit” for eluding predators. ~ Anecdote and Impala capture, The Bounding Bovid © Jerry L. Ferrara
Eventide When the day’s end is doneit’s farewell to the sunAnd the brief eventidewill cast light far aside ~ Poem and African Elephant capture, Eventide © Jerry L. Ferrara, from the remote Zambezi River, Zimbabwe, Africa