First, some rousing RAT RHYMES:
Hazel Kearns-Rees sent in this joyful ode to the happy house rat.
Brux says the rat who sits on your shoulder,
Brux says the rat who jumps on your bed,
Brux says the rat who crawls down your top,
Brux says the rat chewing on your ted!
Brux says the rat munching on a cord,
Brux says the rat stealing all your toast,
Brux says the rat dancing on the keyboard,
Brux says the rat getting patted the most!
But the rat that bruxes most of all,
Is not the one with cuddles,
It's the one that walks along the floor,
Leaving little puddles!
*Brux - a quiet grinding of the teeth to express a state of blissful contentedness.
Jim Kading's rat friend, Celeste J.Rat, submitted this clever little bit of rodent verse that offers a unique insight into the rat psyche:
But I really love to sleep,
And make the others go peep peep.
And sometimes they go EEP
But me I'd rather sleep,
Unless... IS THAT A TREAT?
Jane Adamo sent in a selection of Ratkus and epic Ratku Tails from the collected works of her gifted rat, Ick! (see photo). An albino Rattus Norvegicus-American rodent poet, Ick! paints a vivid portrait of the typical house rat's life with 14 short vignettes:
So far from the litter box
(Was that YOU down there?)
Poop in litter box.
Pee in litter box also,
As well as walnuts.
Think my tail's ugly?
And my testicles gross? Well,
I don't like your face.
We bucks "scent mark" things:
We just pee on them, see? Now
Don't you smell better?
Listen up! I'll climb --
Ankle, knee, lap, arm, shoulder -- and
Tell you in your ear.
Plumber came. We hid.
He wondered why there was corn
On our bathroom floor.
A squirrel came to
our window today. Get this --
He preferred MY tail.
I HAVE TO PEE NOW!
Forget it -- just remembered,
Your lap is perfect.
Rats have this plan to
eclipse Y2K: they call it
"Plague 2000".
Why are people scared
of rats? We love to kiss! I'll
show them - next party.
Is that your dinner?
Can I have a closer look?
Now it's my dinner.
Humans keep peanuts
In their ears. You just have to
reach in deep enough.
You taught us to use
our litterbox. Might we ask
Where you put your poops?
If you were meaning
To give us your sandwich, now
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