I Choose Not To Be A Sloth.

[Art and Poetry. This blog contains a poem and an 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 certainly is a unique creature. Unfortunately I will not 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.

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.
 
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!

I eat as much fruit and foliage as I please.
I laze away all day in cecropia trees,
Whilst basking in the rays of a checkered sun, 
But my life lacks activity and fun! 

It is simply not true
That I am carefree!
My sluggish digestive system
Saps most of my energy.

I am so slow, a minute it takes
To move a two-meter space,
And my ten centimetre claws
Are an added frustration to my pace.
 
On my weekly trip to the loo,
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 a sloth, and 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. Art, Poetry and Photography. All rights reserved.