Animal poems - Koala

NOTE: This page is a daughter page of: Animal poems

Koala

     ... leisurely, adorable, grumpy

For seventeen hours a day… you sleep.
For five hours a day… you eat gum leaves, while resting.
Gum leaves, of course… have the effect of drugging you.
When you are not sleeping, you are effectively stoned.

And sometimes you have sex. If you feel like it.
It is the perfect lifestyle.
You epitomize the Australian dream.
A dream of not really doing much all day, except for soaking in the view, and smiling at nearby friends.

High in the trees, you don't really have much to worry about.
Luckily your claws keep you from falling out of the tree like a hopeless stoner.
And just to be safe you wedge that furry butt of yours deep into the fork of each tree.
It's amazing you've never become stuck between those branches my friend. That would be embarrassing, yet you would probably laugh that one off too.

Some might call it a boring lifestyle.
Akin to a man who plays or watches cricket all week, then goes fishing all weekend.
Spending time with friends, without really even talking much to them. Words are not necessary.
Pulling a broad brimmed hat over your eyes and telling the world not to bother you for a bit - you're busy relaxing this year.

If only today's busy world could learn from your wise example: that doing nothing all day is, in itself, a great accomplishment.
Sometimes you come to the ground to walk between trees and poop. It makes you grumpy. As an arboreal creature you dislike walking.
This minor annoyance is tolerated, only because you get to fantasize about even tastier gum leaves in the adjacent tree.
You fantasies about wedging your hairy bum in the next tree, closing your eyes and dozing off again.

A koala is a happy little, adorable ball of fluff.
A wide face and giant ears that hear almost nothing.
The one thing you hear is the soft call of the wind in the eucalyptus forest telling you that maybe you overexerted yourself today when you walked an entire ten meters between trees.
Tomorrow you should probably take the day off. You earned it mate.

There's not much that can bring you down.
Bad news is something you shrug off with a sleepy yawn.
How much can a koala bear?
A koala can bear the weight of the world - so long as it doesn't ask him to change his ways.

Now bugger off - I'm trying to nap.

            -- by Andrew Noske

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About this Poem... Animal: Koala Description/motivation: One of my favorite Australian creatures. I really didn't fit this to any person, but a childhood friend of mine, Angela Estburgs, pointed out that I had written NOT ONE Australian animal... and that made her sad. Here's the first Australian animal I wrote up. Doesn't really fit her personality, but I'll decide it to her. I hope her parents don't suddenly think she's a stoner. :) This is one in a serious of poems I've written about various animals. The motivation, is that I love the idea of spirit animals, and I decided, one day, to ask many of my friend what animal they think best represents their personality. In some cases the poems are written with the person in mind... and sometimes it's purely about the animal. Read more about my process here. If you love this poem or want another written please e-mail me at . :-)