THE PANGOLIN’S LOVE STORY
I fell in love at the farmer’s market
With the prettiest pangolin the world has seen.
Her scales were lovely, so plump and smooth.
They shined with a polished gleam, deep green.
I was knocked back by her elegance,
a blast of pure gorgeousness.
Her olive scales, her lovely sheen!
I had to befriend that miss.
My legs wiggled like jelly,
as I inched towards the beautiful girl.
My cheeks turned to a bright red,
and my heart fluttered and twirled.
I finally managed to say “Hello,”
And ask her, “What’s your name?”
I eagerly awaited her answer
But alas, no reply came.
I told her of my life in India
escaping famished trackers.
I escaped losing my scales for medicine
And being served with crackers.
I hid away upon a boat
To avoid those terrible straits.
I slipped into the cargo hold
To fend off those dreadful fates.
Within about a week,
I arrived at Fisk Mill Cove.
I rushed to the market to find some food,
And there I found my love.
Once I finished telling my story,
my girl just sat there like a rock.
She didn’t budge a single inch,
And she didn’t make a sound or talk.
“Mademoiselle, are you okay?
Is everything alright?
Maybe you’re hungry,
so I’ll go get us a bite.”
I walked over to the nearest anthill
and picked up some ants to munch.
I laid them at the lady’s feet,
but she didn’t seem to want lunch.
I took a closer look at her,
but I couldn’t find her eyes or tail.
And then it dawned on me that green
is not the normal color of our scales …
I fell in love for the first time—
but it was all a joke.
The love of my life turned out to be
a ripe globe artichoke.
I took the artichoke home,
and I ate it with some chips.
That artichoke didn’t make a good girlfriend,
but it sure made a good dip!
—from 2014 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
__________
Why do you like to write poetry?
Skylar Kendall: “I’m a musician, and writing songs is very similar to writing poetry. They both use rhythm and sound to create a certain feeling. Poetry is a way to express my thoughts, and to share a moment with anyone who reads my words. For this poem, I was trying to get people to think of pangolins, and make people laugh.”
