The Week in Which We Practiced Our Scales

or Reptilian Rhymes

When I was kid (and actually, still today), my favorite part of the Detroit Zoo was the reptile house. Snakes, lizards, crocodilians, terrapins--reptiles are objectively very cool. All creatures dragony, dinosaurian, and Godzilla-ish are beautiful in my book. Whether slithering, crawling, swimming, or ambling in search of prey, reptiles are inherently elegant in their classically prehistoric sophistication.

As cartoons, though, they’re available as something else. Reptile shapes make their way into much of my doodling. Claws, spines, frills, sharp teeth. I think that the reptile form lends itself well to somber grumps, ditzy pseudo-philosophers, misguided optimists, and spiteful losers—the best voices for light verse.

PROMPT:

Your turn!

(1) Draw your favorite reptile.

(2) Next to your drawing, write a poem about self and/or the world. What stresses your reptile out? What do they want from life? What parts of modern society do they find especially annoying or problematic?

(3) Come to the conclusion that maybe we deserve an asteroid, too. Let the cephalopods or nematodes or marigolds have a shot.

(4) Show your friends!