Dear Meerkat
You are the sentry
checking the coast is clear-kat
Tail to balance you
at the rear-kat
Barking the alarm
when predators are near-kat
Plenty of bolt-holes
so you can just disappear-kat
Dark patches to protect eyes
from the sun’s burning sphere-kat
Sandstorm? Remember
you can block up your ears-kat
Immune to scorpion’s sting
so you’ve nothing to fear-kat.
And despite the harsh Kalahari desert
surviving year after year-kat.
checking the coast is clear-kat
Tail to balance you
at the rear-kat
Barking the alarm
when predators are near-kat
Plenty of bolt-holes
so you can just disappear-kat
Dark patches to protect eyes
from the sun’s burning sphere-kat
Sandstorm? Remember
you can block up your ears-kat
Immune to scorpion’s sting
so you’ve nothing to fear-kat.
And despite the harsh Kalahari desert
surviving year after year-kat.
This poem is copyright (©) Jacqueline Shirtliff 2025
About the Writer
Jacqueline Shirtliff
Jacqueline is a poet and primary school teacher on the Isle of Man. One of her favourite things is helping children to love poetry and reading and encouraging them to be writers themselves. She lives in a rose-covered cottage near the sea and enjoys gardening, crochet, and playing the tuba and harp, but not all at the same time! You can read some of her other poems in The Caterpillar, Tyger Tyger, Northern Gravy, The Toy, and Little Thoughts Press.
