I’ve always liked kangaroos
Koalas, also make me smile
There’s something about
hopping critters, and lazy, arboreal dwellers–
bamboo shoots and joey-roos.
My Australian friends consider
these beasts not so fondly–
“Pests” they often call them, “troublemakers,” too.
Much like our masked raccoons,
antic chipmunk and stellar jays–
Redwood fauna–to live near them may
tarnish one’s thoughts–
We often love what we have not–
And detest what is right in front of us.
I suppose that goes for friend and foe,
For jobs and hobbies just the same
Unless, of course, you like your lot
As I am wan to do.
Note: I work with a few kangaroos–or chipmunks
depending on the day. Except, of course, for my students,
whom I often find to be more like chameleons-I wish they would all grow
up so I can retire and simply be myself. 
Word Play 