My Green Iggy

A Poem by Marie Harrison

A poem about my green iguana.

My Green Iggy

My wild green iguana Iggy

nods his regal spiked head at me.

It’s the power of a sweet tangerine

hibiscus flower he knows.

Bobbing his head

back and forth

like Billy Idol,

liking what he sees.

Offering him my covered shoulder,

he grabs on tightly with his sharp claws.

Now my dinosaur friend

is taking a thrilling joy ride outside.

Nestling in his outdoor

cage on his hanging branch

to work on his suntan.

Guarding his cage

with my life,

for I would cry if he died.

An orange tabby Hagis

lies beside him,

outside of his cage.

Iggy loves his cat.

As the magenta

sunset waves goodbye,

Iggy takes a wild ride back

inside and eats fresh

spears of juicy mango.

Romance he seeks because

Iggy makes my fuscha

house shoe his prison b***h in

the living room as

we watch TV together.

Playing a jungle song from Peru,

entertaining Iggy with my silver flute

before he goes to bed.

Keeping his room

90 degrees for Iggy,

we’re not rich,

but he'll freeze-up

if he's cold,

for he's our

cold blooded

dinosaur mold.

Iggy loves to be massaged

up and down his green scaly body

and lightly misted with cool Evian water.

Loving Iggy like he was

our very own son or daughter.

Iggy is a special pet

to me!

© 2010 Marie Harrison

Author's Note

For years I owned a green iguana that someone gave me in college. He was so cute. He was trained almost as well as a dog. He would bob his head up and down at my husband and I. We both cried when he died. It was really sad. I grew pots of hibiscus flowers for him to eat as treats. I miss him sometimes. But they are a lot of work to own.