I Bought a Pet Banana
From the book My Hippo Has the Hiccups
I bought a pet banana
and I tried to teach him tricks,
but he wasn’t any good at
catching balls or fetching sticks.
He could never catch a Frisbee,
and he wouldn’t sit or speak,
though we practiced every afternoon
and evening for a week.
He refused to shake or wave or crawl
or beg or take a bow,
and I tried, but couldn’t make him bark
or get him to meow.
He was terrible at playing dead.
He couldn’t jump a rope.
When he wouldn’t do a single trick
I simply gave up hope.
Though I liked my pet banana,
I returned him with regret.
Boy, I sure do hope this watermelon
makes a better pet.
— Kenn Nesbitt
Copyright © 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Reading Level: Grade 3
Topics: Food Poems
From the book My Hippo Has the Hiccups
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