The Usefulness of Hippopotamus

<p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>I am staring at a blank piece of paper wondering what to write. Where do I begin? My mind begins to wander-pleasant thoughts of Disney's </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Fantasia</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)> dance in my head. The dancing hippopotamus comes to mind and this made me laugh. The result: I penned a poem on the hippopotamus from which a chapbook was born: </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook for Trying Times.</em></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>One cannot imagine a world without humor. Without humor the world will be dark cold and a sad place tragically lacking joy cheerfulness and laughter.</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Humor is medicine. During rough times humor will help lighten and lessen physical and mental anxiety.</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>In challenging times I chose humor. During the Pandemic I had to deal with my bladder cancer. In my struggle not to get depressed or dwell in negativity to find solace contentment and peace I chose to seek out beauty and laugh.</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>In search of happiness the humor worked its charm resulting in a treasure chest of joy. So I wrote my chapbook </span><em style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook for Trying Times</em><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)> and discovered humor even among the hippopotami!</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>You can too.</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Peace & flowers.</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Love & light.</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Vincent J. Tomeo Author/Poet</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify>The hippopotamus Paving a route creating streams roads for other animals to navigate their way.</p><p class=ql-align-justify>The humor has strains of Twain running throughout mixed with simpler childlike puns.</p><p class=ql-align-justify>I will splash upon your walls to bring you golden light / and whisper cryptic messages to help you walk between the shadows. -US REVIEW OF BOOKS</p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify><br></p><p class=ql-align-justify>The readers become part of this mix of reality and imagination; for example the poem Thirty Seniors at the Movie describes a busy movie theatre which the reader can see and listen to clearly.</p><p class=ql-align-justify>This book celebrates humanity by highlighting creativity resilience and relationships with one another. -PACIFIC BOOK REVIEW </p>