Jungle transformations

 I saw a  yellow leaf tumble to the forest floor 

 it righted itself up , half -way there 

landed on its feet , yellow and black 

took off like a bullet , flying at the crack 

It was a golden oriole 

and I was a fool . 

On crossing a freshly tarred road

"It is long ribbony sticky 

I think it is called tar "

The owl , wisest so far 

Added his words , picky 

"If it is in hues  blacky

it might be a car "

The treepie sounded afar

"No it is hot and black 

and sticky "

The squirrel said " Brother flurry 

 was in a terrible  hurry 

got stuck 

and smack 

He roasted 

out popped 

like popcorn "

"Why dont humans pop then 

they keep walking around ",  the hen 

Added to the hub bub 

"Just the adults , not cubs " 

" Yeah , I have seen the juveniles 

travel in rolled carts , limousines "

"It is called  a perambulator "

"Gosh , what a big named machine 

For the teeny weeny critter "

"The critter is not pram , 

darn it , why do I even give a damn " 

The owl hooted to himself , brooding 

The monkey went tick- picking 

time went on tock-ticking 

" and we kept taking 

a -licking "

The parrot 

quoted 

baby's day out 

cackled on tree top

and flew out 

cackling its pout out 

quite irreverentially 

and impertinently 

"They wear shoes" 

Owl couldn't contain

His ideas and its flows 

that mostly drained

Into minds that couldn't absorb 

assimiliate the glittering orb 

Having had his final say, 

In despairing disgust , he flew away 

To hide his head in his wings 

and catch his precious winks 

Before the morons slept 

and night on the planet crept 

"Oh ! Shoo ! " I Know one "

said the monkey , the Mor-on

"That lady in the house 

where the water flows 

shouted at  me "shoo !!"

probably asking me to go "

Mor-on reflected bitterly 

on this possibilty , merrily 

adding , unnecessarily 

"Then they should be 

Shoomans 

Not humans " 

Rolled in the dirt merrily 

catching his meagre belly 

The mirth was lost 

on others of his lot 

who contemplated the onerous task

of crossing a freshly tarred road 

lying , gleaming , steaming , broad 

strip of glistening black .

Covid is here

 Somewhere , deep in the woods 

the peacock shouted "Peyong " 

Have you lately noted ,for good ,

Their mouths are open no long ?"

No one answered , 

though everyone heard ,

the bird loud and clear ,

"when you live in mortal fear "

To supply the answer 

Only the monkey could dare 

"fear of what ? May I ask ? 

Why cover nose too , with mask ?"

The peacock was in a chatty mood 

A man ran past , in mask and a hood 

The monkey , fearful for reasons good 

fled, tail in the air , with its entire brood

Chattering on the way , for all to hear 

"Bird doesn't know , Covid is here ."