Crocodile in the City

The crocodile said to the cockatoo:

Cockatoo,

A croc’s gotta do

What he’s gotta do

The crocodile said to the chimpanzee:

Chimpanzee,

I want to be free

The jungle jangles not for me

The crocodile said to the mosquito:

Mosquito,

I must quit, oh,

I must admit, I just must go

The crocodile said to the koala bear:

Koala bear,

What are you doing up there?

You should be in Australia

The crocodile said to the parakeet:

Parakeet,

I’m stifled by this steamy heat

How I long to loll on a stone-cold street

The crocodile said to the alligator:

Alligator,

À l’heure, alligator, mate,

See you at a later date

The crocodile said to the piranha:

Piranha,

I leave for London mañana

Disguised as a giant banana

The crocodile said to the hippopotamus:

Sharon,

Give my love to Karen,

Gary, Wayne and Darren

Dear Mother

London cold Earth hard

Buildings giant into sky

To and fro menwo scarry

as if time on fire

At great noise cars speed

trailing bad breath

Crocodile keep to gutter

where slidder undisturbed

Dear Mother

Prisons underground

for rats are many found

Cats and dogs cowed

kowtow to menwo

Birds are not radiant

nor celebrate lives in song

Are pavement-coloured

and scream

Dear Mother

During daylight sightsee See

sights for sore eyes

See eyesores soar

So far have sightseen

Buckingham Palace Tower

Bridge Houses of Parliament

Yesterday went to Madame Tussaud’s

and ate lots of famous people

Dear Mother

Night is best Moonlight

become crocodile

Stars dance in scales

asa hunting go

Late home-returner

beware puddle that move

Beware reflection that salivate

Moonlight that become crocodile

Dear Mother

Arched in pain

on pavement

Throat dry

as parchment

Parched

thirst saharan

Water water

sting of carbreath

Dear Mother

London hard Earth cold

Too tired now to hunt meat

Eat Coke cans McDonald’s cartons

Kentucky fried chicken boxes

Water is black Like swallowing

putrid snake Cannot see

Tongue is swollen Head is burning

Tomorrow crocodile return home

Kentucky fried snake

home is cold carton

chicken is swollen water

mother is putrid meat

earth is dear

coke is hard

McDonald’s is tired now

head is black box

tongue is swallowing

London is burning

crocodile cannot see

tomorrow