[Art and Poetry. This blog contains a poem and image of a Sloth, painted in oils.] As I live in South Africa, the sloth was never on my list of animals to paint. It is usually lions, elephants, buck etc., however, I was looking around for a very furry animal to paint and came across the sloth and does this little guy have fur! I am glad I chose the sloth as it is the most unique animal I have got to know about. I also penned a poem about the sloth which I hope you enjoy. I do not think I will be seeing a sloth anytime soon unless I take a trip the jungles of South America.
I CHOOSE NOT TO BE A SLOTH©️
I choose not to be a sloth
Languishing on a branch all day.
I have no excuse for my laziness
I was created this way.
I am a symbol of altruism
Envied for my relaxed being,
But don’t be fooled by such talk
No one would want this gene.
My only saving grace
Is that I am as adorable as a teddy,
But did you know that my thick fur
Is host to moths, mites and algae!
It is simply not true
That I am carefree!
My sluggish digestive system
Saps most of my energy.
On my weekly trip to do a poo,
I need to climb down to my spot on the ground,
However, this could be the death of me
If there is a jaguar, snake or eagle around.
I am so slow, a minute it takes
To move a two-meter space,
And my ten-centimeter claws
Are an added frustration to my pace.
I’m not easily seen up in the trees
As my fur is suffused with fungi
So, as I am well camouflaged
You would have to look twice to spot me.
I laze away all day in cecropia trees,
Eating as many fruits and leaves as I please
Whilst basking in the rays of a mosaic sun.
I am a sloth, but I’m sure you no longer envy me. 💚
SLOTHS DO NOT MAKE GOODS PETS, UNLESS YOU ARE PLANNING TO BUY A HUGE PLOT OF LAND IN A SOUTH AMERICAN JUNGLE AND HERE IS WHY:
They need a specialized diet.
Warm and humid conditions.
They need to be suspended from high branches.
Their life span is much shorter in captivity than in their natural habitat.
Copyright. Caroline Street. 1) Art. Hanging Sloth, oil on canvas. 2) Poetry. ‘ I Choose Not To Be A Sloth.’
You did a good job painting an unfamiliar animal.
As our noun growth is formed from grow, so sloth traces back to slow. The spelling without the w obscures the connection. The dictionary says that the English name of the animal was translated from Portuguese translation of Portuguese preguiça, which means the same thing.
Just last year I first heard about the algae that grows on sloths.
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Interesting! Thank you Steve.
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Haha, I no longer envy sloths. Beautiful poem and painting! Thank you for sharing.
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Yes, quite unfortunate creatures. I am glad you enjoyed the post. Thank you.
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Just love the poem and painting. Beautiful!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
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Thank you AmyRose, for your approval! 💐
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Delightful painting, Caroline…and I learned something about sloths 🙂 I do NOT wish to be one!
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Thank you Lynn! Glad you picked up some info. Poor little creatures. 😔
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Yes, kinda feel sorry for them now.
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Love the painting and the poem!
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Thanks very much Lily.
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