Warts and All

The toad is quite fond of his warts;
You can’t convince him otherwise.
They help to woo cute toadettes’ hearts
And still hide from predators’ eyes.

The skunk revels in his foul smell;
He cares not if it offends you.
He won’t trade for Eau de Chanel;
With his scent, all give him his due.

The slug slides on his oozy slime,
But his goo isn’t an affliction.
It greatly improves travel time
And lowers the force of friction.

You may not want what they possess
And may not know its true value.
When you meet, look beyond the mess,
And they may become your pal too.

Groundhog’s Lament

Were I a woodchuck I would rather stay
Still warm in my burrow on Groundhog Day.
It’s just too cold to go out for a snack –
You want a forecast, read an almanac.

Some wonder why groundhogs are so surly;
You would be too if we woke you early.
His winter plans were just to hibernate,
But then halfway through him we excavate.

We drag him out to ask a fool question;
Let me offer a better suggestion.
If we want a shadow, then ask a tree –
It has no place more comfortable to be.

For more groundhog perspective, see:
Day of the Groundhog