And That Was The Oddest of Things

by Daniel Errico

I woke in the night to a noise from the kitchen,

So off I set out on a fact-finding mission.

Whatever it was, I did not have a clue.

As I got closer I heard a loud chew.

The fridge door was open with food on the ground.

A tiny blue penguin was looking around!

He looked through our food and he tossed it aside.

He opened each can and shook out the inside.

“Excuse me!” I said, but he seemed not to care.

I shut the fridge door and he shot me a glare.

“Jelly,” he said as he held up some bread,

With smooth peanut butter, he must have just spread.

“Jelly?” I answered, “I... think we ran out,”

The little blue penguin, now wore a blue pout.

“Jelly,” he said as he waddled away.

Without any jelly, why would he stay?

I followed him out through our squeaky backdoor.

An igloo was there, that was not there before.

He slid on his belly, inside, out of sight.

But, it wasn’t the oddest thing I saw that night.

I heard a loud ruckus and ran back to see,

A giant giraffe flipping though my tv.

He munched on some chips and kept changing the channel

He wore a bathrobe that was made of red flannel.

“Excuse me!” I yelled but he turned up the sound,

And most of the chips ended up on the ground.

He tossed up a few and he took a big bite.

But, it wasn’t the oddest thing I saw that night.

I heard water splashing the bathroom upstairs,

And found a large octopus bathing in there.

She had my green shower cap on, just my luck.

I saw she had taken my new rubber duck.

I said “Finish up!”, and she told me, “All right.”

But, it wasn’t the oddest thing I saw that night.

Back in my bedroom, a CRASH and a THUD.

Two lemurs were throwing around balls of mud.

My room was a mess and they both were to blame.

I swear I had just cleaned it up! What a shame.

There was mud on the dresser, the desk, and the light.

But, it wasn’t the oddest thing I saw that night.

Outside I looked up, and I know it’s bizarre,

But guess what flew by me? A bright shooting star!

I wished for the penguin to get all his jelly.

I wished the giraffe would stop using my telly.

I wished that the octopus there in my tub,

Would exit the bathroom and give it a scrub.

I wished that my room would somehow become clean.

I wished that this nonsense would all be a dream.

The lemurs both left. The giraffe had enough.

The octopus gave me back all of my stuff.

The blue penguin waddled right up to my feet.

He carried a sandwich, most ready to eat.

Then he flew off when he flapped both his wings

And that, of it all, was the oddest of things...