Chameleon

This week I’ve got something extra fun for you, dear readers. I moderate a group called The Story of Nature on the writer site Scribophile. Every now and then we hold group contests and the theme of the most recent was ‘Animal Magic’. But with an added twist: entries had to make a reference to April Fool’s Day.

We received some wonderful pieces, including the one below by the talented Anne Bradshaw. Anne is Writer Liaison for Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things. She kindly gave me permission to publish her poem here – about a truly magical animal of which I have fond memories (more about those next week) - and I’m delighted to be able to share it with you.

Thanks very much, Anne!

Chameleon

by Anne Bradshaw

Old world, ancient lizard

you're something of a wizard

with a tail that's quite prehensile

and bulbous eyes so mobile.

Your colour is a mystery

of evolutionary history -

from the Isle of Madagascar

into Europe, Asia, Africa,

arboreal disguise

means you vanish to our eyes.

Little lion of the ground

how your camouflage astounds

and you fool us all too soon

whether April, May or June,

making thermoregulation

quite a source of fascination:

Ultra-violet, infra-red,

you've got colour-wise 'street cred'.