The Panda
Gail White

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The panda bear was never meant
to flourish on this continent.
At best it can digest a few
green shoots of succulent bamboo.
Its young are born so very small
it ought to be marsupial.
An animal so plainly jinxed
should properly have been extinct,
yet no fund-raising propaganda
works half as well as “SAVE THE PANDA!”

 

Why? Because we can’t resist
this furry, fat contortionist
whose two heart-melting blackened eyes
would win the Hallmark Cuteness Prize.

 

The moral is: If you’ve a cause
for which you need the world’s applause
and pots of cash, or all is lost—
be cute. Be cute at any cost.

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Previously published on Light and The HyperTexts​​

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Gail’s notes: “’The Panda’, which was first published years ago in Light, is one of my favorites of my own things. I always secretly hoped it would make its way into the light verse canon and be immortal. Consequently, I sneak it into another appearance in print whenever I can. It has always had a good response from the readers!“

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Gail White is a formalist poet whose totem animal is the cat, as evidenced by her chapbook of cat poetry, Catechism. She lives in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, where she currently owns two cats and feeds three others.

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​Pic credits:

‘Panda‘, by Eric Isselee (via Shutterstock.com)

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Andrew l David l Janet l Janice l John l Mark l Martin l Melissa l Mike l Steven l Susan l Word-Bird

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