Squitch, the Squirrel of New York
In New York City's Central Park
Lived a squirrel known as Squitch,
And when tourists stopped to watch him romp
He knew he'd struck it rich.
He would entertain them with his tail;
He would shimmy, shake, and swish,
And as cameras clicked on every move
He would close his eyes and wish.
Yes, he hoped for peanuts, crumbs, and such,
That was every squirrel's game;
But in some ways Squitch was quite unique:
What he wanted most was fame.
He was New York savvy and he knew
That with each delightful antic,
He was captured by a camera's lens,
But his goal was most gigantic.
He was not content to remain unknown;,
He had big plans to uncork.
Someday everyone would know his name:
Squitch, the Squirrel of New York!
He'd be famous throughout all the world;
They'd arrive from far and near.
Crowds would come to Central Park and wait,
Hoping that Squitch would appear.
And he'd never, ever let them down;
He'd cavort and run and pounce,
And if other squirrels interfered
They'd soon realize they'd be trounced.
He would see his name in lights one day,
He'd appear on late-night shows.
There would be a statue showing Squitch
In a most distinguished pose.
And one lucky day, Squitch's wish came true,
Well, not every single part;
But he did enough to impress someone
Who took all his hopes to heart.
And she wrote a poem about his life
So that people would find out
That in New York Squitch the Squirrel lives
And he's waiting there, no doubt.
So go look around, when you're in New York;
Visit Central Park and wait,
And I'm sure you'll notice Squitch at once
And I don't exaggerate.
He will mug and charm and delight your heart,
He'll grab any food you scatter;
And if you're not sure if it's really Squitch -
Does it really even matter?
For each squirrel's here just to entertain
With a New York flair and style;
But when you go home, don't forget to swear
You saw Squitch - and then, just smile..... 

Ilene Bauer
April 23, 2009
