The Marihui

I think that I shall never see
Anything like the marihui*
The mighty little marihui
Is just as small as small can be.
He isn’t vicious to the sight
But really has a wicked bite.
When he finds you a message he sends
North, south, east, west to all his friends.
When I’m swimming they’re there in force.
Out, determined on their course.
    Destination? ME!
-Wesley Sh, Grade 8
(*pronunciation -- mah ree wee)

Tarantula

The tarantula is black,
  And he’s also hairy.
He likes dark places
  So you’d better be wary.
He’s got a bad bite;
  He’s a wicked fellow.
And, if he bites,
  You’re sure to bellow.
-Tom V, Grade 8

The Chichara

The chichara is a cute little bug;
  He isn’t black, and hairy;
  He doesn’t have a nasty bite;
  You don’t have to be wary.
All he does is sit and chirp
You can catch him with hardly a “flirp”,
But there are some boys
  Who think they’re having fun
They pick one up,
  And kill it--
    Then run!
-Steve O, Grade 8

Insect Gems

Golden bugs are gems to me,
Which flit around blossom, bush and tree,
Of all different colors, purples and golds,
Reds and browns, shaped from molds.

They come after dews and heavy rain,
To lick the leaves again and again.
They come back flying with delicate wings,
They come to drink, like deer at springs.

These little gems from the air,
Wrought by God’s hands with such great care!
-Jennie J, Grade 7

The Water Bug

This little waterbug,
Oh, what a funny sight!
But even though he’s comical,
He’s got a painful bite.

The water bug is slimy,
The waterbug is sleek.
Of all his characteristics,
He isn’t very meek.
-Jonathan R, Grade 7

Leaf-Cutter Ants

One day as I was skipping
I saw something snipping.
The cutter ants had made a trail
For carrying away their sails.
And were easily seen.

After the leaves had fallen,
They’d come down solemn
To hoist them onto their backs,
And take them home for their snacks.
Then on the trail again at noon
Carrying cargo to their storageroom.
-Ruth K, Grade 7

The Boa Snake

This animal lives in Tumi’s Lake
Squeeze is the name of this boa snake
So watch out for him
  when you go down to swim
When you finish your bath,
  he might be on the path.
-Melodie S, Grade 1

The Palm Tree

The palm tree as we can see can sway
Back and forth or anyway,
And from the tree so tall
The motacus will fall.
They are very good to eat
But not to stub your feet!
Some palms have a sticker
That will really make you bicker!
The leaves will make the roof of a house
Where the rats hide and even a mouse.
But when it gets chopped down from so tall
There will be no motacus to fall
That is the end of the tree.
-Steve J, Grade 6

Jungle Rain

One day the jungle is dripping with rain,
Then for a month it won’t rain again.
The rain has earned a lot of foes,
Especially Moms who hate wet clothes.
Now we children don’t mind the rain
Tho’ we get mud-coated time and again.
    But many rains last very long
    When we want them to stop
    --they go on and on.
-Paul J, Grade 5

My dad and I went fishing one day,
  And I caught a tacunaré
We shot an alligator one night.
  And ate the tail in the daylight
-Jimmy P, Grade 2

I heard an alligator on the lake
  When we were out fishing.
I really was happy on that fishing trip.
  It was fun.
-Tommy O, Grade 1

One day I climbed a tree.
I met a sloth, and he saw me.

I climbed up higher,
And saw a fire.

The sloth fell down,
And broke his crown.
-Wesley Sch, Grade 1

Out Camping

I like to go out camping.
And before I go to bed,
I usually go out tramping
When the sunset is so red.

I always hear the howler monkey
Howling through the night.
And though they’re right above me,
They’re always out of sight.
-Daniel P, Grade 4

Jungle Sights

The vines in the jungle growth
  Are fun for me and monkeys both.
We swing and try to pull them down;
  Back and forth down to the ground.

Army ants are in our house
  Creeping like a little mouse;
And the more they’d like to stay,
  I wish the more they’d go away.

The toucan’s loud, and can be heard
  Throughout the jungle. He’s a noisy bird.
His colors are a flashing bright;
  Black, red, and yellow make a lovely sight.
-Alice V, Grade 3

I Like...

I like to go exploring
  At the bottom of the lake.
I like to find the pollywogs
  Underneath old logs.

I like to look at snakes.
  I like to watch them climb.
When they are in the jungle,
  They look like a gigantic vine

I like to go alligator hunting.
  Alligators are big game.
With sharp, pointed teeth,
  and big, scary mouths,
    They aren’t very tame.

I like to go out fishing
  In the lake blue and clear.
The fish are usually biting
  When logs and stumps are near.
-Nathaniel R, Gr. 4

Jungle Snow

The wind blows hard.
The branches swing low.
And kapok comes floating, floating down
  Like little parachutes from little planets
    Making their courses down to the ground.

It’s really jungle cotton,
  But I call it “snow.”
And it comes at certain times
  When the wind really blows.

It comes without much warning,
  And yet we know...
That when the wind comes,
  The kapok might blow.

It’s fun to try to catch and keep,
  But always from your hands it seeps.
It’s fun to watch it float--float down,
  Like little parachutes landing
    on the ground.
-Jennie J, Grade 8

A Jungle Spring

A jungle spring is a wonder
  Of clear, cold, dark, clean water
    That flows along with a soft gurgle.

It comes from a secret tunnel
  Through vines and branches in the jungle
    And comes from under a beautiful rock.

It comes out with a slow trickle
  And flows on into the jungle
    With a ripple of cool clear water.

It travels over rocks and leaves
  That create its great beauty
    To pour into our big clear lake.
-Ruth K, Grade 8

Jungle Rain

Here we are in rainy season.
  How the rain does pound!
On the tin roof, what a commotion;
  What a thundrous sound.

We trudge down the slippery path;
  We slosh through a muddy pool,
We feel like we are swimming
  By the time we get to school.
-Nancy W, Grade 4

The Army Ants

The army ants work very hard.
  They seem to never tire.
If they were people, there’s not one
  That I wouldn’t hire.

They work and work ’til day is done.
  Then at dusk there’s joyous fun.
After this they go to bed,
  Resting now each weary head.
-Mark O, Grade 7

Dug-out Canoe

The dug-out canoe will carry you;
  Wherever you want to go.
It will not sink; it’s made of wood.
It skims across the lake
  When winds blow.

The dug-out canoe will carry you;
  Whatever you want to do.
To the island and back
To get a load of palm leaves,
  Or sticks of bamboo.
-Chuckles S, Grade 4