https://flic.kr/p/tP6nNL

Monkey Play
by Michael Romani

Seen from above as a thick carpet of green
But then... things are never as they're seen
Each animal like monkeys in the canopy
Clamber and cope as they pass tree to tree

Red Howlers are stead on their strong feet
That keep them from being the jaguar's treat
As tiny squirrel monkeys scramble on branches
Bromeliads act like a liquid pool and stanches

The Bald Ukari is perhaps not the most handsome
But certainly remains as one of the most winsome
Such is the way of the Amazonian monkey
Up there in the market that makes up its canopy

Still, while seemingly friendly the canopy confides
That sometimes fearsome killers are what it hides
There's an expert monkey hunter in the Harpy
Waiting there lurking the shadows of the lush canopy

The agile eagle seeks its unassuming, playful prey
The Harpy is an elite killer in it's every way
As a snoozing sloth edges along in it quick getaway
Claws clamp and jaw set, the sloth survives its day

These blended beings merge with verdant surroundings
Each an jewel intricately  placed in vibrant life abounding
And so it is in the day to day of a rainforest day
Amazing complexity merges into what might seem monkey play

(c) December 5, 2017  Michael Romani
All Rights Reserved