We didn’t pass the penguins, we didn’t glimpse the bears <br />We hurried past the camels, as they chewed quite unawares <br />We saw the sleeping tiger, on our day to London Zoo <br />And paid our several visits to observe each shiny loo. <br /> <br />We crammed into the aviary; we queued to pat the goats <br />We galloped through Gorilla world, as we’d nearly burnt our boats <br />And almost missed the show beneath the amphitheatre’s roof <br />Where parrots pooped and skunks emerged then scuttled back, aloof. <br /> <br />We watched the leaping lemur try to jump from pole to pole <br />And then refused to spring again but loped back to its hole <br />We stopped to munch our picnic lunch, though some had none to chew <br />Since they’d already gobbled up their snack as we went round the Zoo. <br /> <br />We saw Komodo dragons; then the rain began to pour <br />So we hurried to seek shelter as we dribbled through the door <br />Of the awe-inspiring reptile house which went on for miles and miles <br />With terrapins and turtles, and terrifying crocodiles. <br /> <br />Once it had finished drizzling, we decided to inspect <br />The creepy-crawly area, with each species of insect <br />From cockroaches to centipedes and millipedes (which is which?) <br />But bugs and fleas caused us to sneeze and some of us to itch. <br /> <br />We were nearly famished so, to pander to our vices, <br />It seemed that we might finish, after pandas, with some ices <br />But, since we’d been distracted, we lost track of time, too, <br />A quick pop round the tourist shop was all that we could do. <br /> <br />We’d slurp our ices later, on the way out of the gate <br />As we hurried to the tube station, afraid that we’d be late <br />But we caught the tube and made it, just before the rush-hour queue <br />And we all agreed a glorious day was had at London Zoo.<br /><br />C Richard Miles<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/school-trip-to-london-zoo/
