Our Pet

We took a trip to Florida,
escaping from the cold,
and there we bought a souvenir,
one that the gift store sold.

It really wasn't much at all,
no longer than your hand.
And how it got so big, so fast,
I still don’t understand.

But he just kept on growing more,
it seemed like every day.
He grew to over nine feet long.
At least it looked that way.

You know he was so cute at first
before he got immense.
We had to put him in the yard
behind a cyclone fence.

The neighbors came to gawk at him.
He was an awesome sight.
They marveled at his scaly skin
and his enormous bite.

We didn’t have a name at first
so we just called him Jaws.
And Jaws had fit him very well
because, you know… because.

That alligator was our pet,
but not one you would pat.
No, he was not the cuddly type.
He ate our neighbor’s cat!

An alligator as a pet
is not for everyone.
In fact, it’s not a pet at all
when all is said and done.

Well, Jaws no longer lives with us.
We gave him to a zoo.
Too many cats had disappeared,
so what else could we do?

But we still go to visit him
to see his handsome face.
And he gives us a great big grin.
He’s in a happy place.