Poetry Friday--Crocodiles on the Brain

Truly, this is an odd week. How many times do you find more than one article about crocodiles in any given week? The Independent ran another one this morning: A Crocodile Goes into a Bar, So the Drinkers Snap It Up. How can anyone resist reading an story with a headline like that?

So, in honor of crocodiles, I'm going to treat you to poems about the toothly reptiles. The first is by Ogden Nash. I happened to use part of it in my quote blog yesterday, so please forgive the repeat:

THE PURIST

I give you now Professor Twist,
A conscientious scientist,
Trustees exclaimed, "He never bungles!"
And sent him off to distant jungles.
Camped on a tropic riverside,
One day he missed his loving bride.
She had, the guide informed him later,
Been eaten by an alligator.
Professor Twist could not but smile.
"You mean," he said, "a crocodile."

Here's another by Lewis Carroll found in Poems of Lewis Carroll [821.8 CAR]:

THE CROCODILE

How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!

How cheerfully he seems to grin
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in,
With gently smiling jaws!

And finally, some lyrics from one of my favorite songs:

NEVER SMILE AT A CROCODILE

Never smile at a crocodile
No, you can't get friendly with a crocodile
Don't be taken in by his welcome grin
He's imagining how well you'd fit within his skin.

Borrow the film Peter Pan to see it masterfully performed by Cyril Ritchard [J VIDEO PET], or look for the original Broadway cast album [CD BROADWAY PET]