Jungle In The Gym

An imaginative boy describes his unbelievable day at recess.

I am Timothy, Timmy, Tim.
My dad is James, Jimmy, Jim.
My mom is Kimberly, Kimmy, Kim.

I walk, walk, walk
With my teacher
And my class.
It's time for recess
So we're going to the gym.

This is my favorite part of school.
I wonder if today will be extra cool?

Wait -- I hear something!
What could that be?
What's that about?
What am I about to see?
One way to find out....

The sights I see are so so silly --
A gibbon wearing a ribbon,
A gorilla holding an umbrella,
A caterpillar riding an armadillo
And a chinchilla just chillin'.

Wow! There's a parrot
And a rabbit with a carrot,
I swear it!
A cockatoo just flew
Out of the locker room,
I declare it!

I see a toucan
On the recycling bin!

Monkeys on the bars?
You bet there are!

Now I hear a lion
And I am not lyin'!

Behind that door
I hear RAWR!

My teacher is petting a tiger,
I hope it doesn't bite her!
But it really seems to like her.
I promise I'm not a liar!

As I stand and stare,
From out of nowhere
A frog lands in my hair!
PLOP! Then HOP!
HOP! HOP! HOP!
This is going on my blog!

I hear a hypnotic hip-hop hippopotamus,
I recognize a riveting rhyming rhinoceros.

Whoa! My cousin Leonard
Just about lost his freckles
When he almost got leveled
By a lively leapin' leopard!

I reach up to wipe my eyes
When to my great surprise
My face is grazed
By the beautiful wings
Of a big blue butterfly!

I spot the brilliant Clifford Gifford --
He's the undisputed class math wizard.
So busy figuring is he
That he nearly steps on a lizard.
The look on his face
Brings more than one snicker.

Ha ha! He He!
Oh my! Oh me!
I can't help but laugh
At that silly giraffe
Who has stuck his neck
Through the basketball net.

There's my friend Patty Byrne
Riding on a pachyderm --
All around the gym
It does carry her.

There's my sister's BFF,
Her name is Lisa --
She can be a bit of a diva.
But it's not easy to be a diva
When you're distracted by a zebra.
And it's even harder to be a diva
When you're chased by a cheetah.
Poor diva Lisa!

Oh look! There's my neighbor Sara Snyder.
Oh no! I see a hairy scary spider beside her.

Right now I'm in a dither
And my courage it withers
'Cuz up and down the bleachers
A python it slithers.

What in the --
Here comes Ally Gaither,
Running as fast
As her legs can take her.
What is she saying?
AL -- AL -- ALLI -- GATOR!
Well that does it for me,
I'm outta here,
See ya later!

....

Don't worry about me,
I'm safe in my bed.
But these incredible images
Still play in my head.

I know they seem kookoo
And they even seem scary
But it's really all good
'Cuz it's all imaginary.

When I activate my imagination,
I can create cool creations
And animate awesome animations
Or mutate mutant mutations
And combine creative combinations
Or visualize varieties of variations.
I can narrate nutty narrations,
I can carry on crazy conversations,
I can decide on delightful destinations
And lollygag in loony locations.
Yes! I can visit all kinds of places
And turn all types of pages.
I can command
A rotating claymation space station
Or even defend against
A blazin' invasion of robotic ravens.
I can think ANY story
When it's all imaginary.

If I can only imagine,
I can make ANYTHING happen --
I can be the captain
Of a flashin' rocket wagon.
I can be Aladdin
And live in a magic mansion
With my princess Jasmine
And our pet magic dragon.
I can invent a laser cannon
And all kinds of awesome gadgets.
I can be a legendary luminary
Or veterinary to Tom & Jerry,
A scientist in an interplanetary laboratory,
I can even read flying books
In a magical fairy library.
It's no prob', Bob!
After all,
It's all imaginary.

I think you can see
My imagination runs deep --
I need it now
To call those sheep
So I can count them
As they bleat and leap
And play in fields
And on hills so steep.
My eyes feel heavy,
It's off to sleep.


© Matt Decker