Camel's Complaint

                             [Poem]
                        Camel's Complaint

Canary-birds feed on sugar and seed,
Parrots have crackers to crunch;
And as for poodles, they tell me the noodles 
Have chicken and cream for their lunch,
But there's never a question 
About my digestion-
Anything does for me.

Cats, you are aware, can repose in a chair,
Chickens can roost upon rails;
Puppies are able to sleep in a stable,
And oysters can slumber in pails,
But no one supposes 
A poor camel dozes-
Any place does for me.

Lambs are enclosed where it's never exposed,
Coops are constructed for hens;
Kittens are treated in houses well heated,
And pigs are protected by pens
But a camel comes handy
Wherever it's sandy-
Anywhere does for me.

People would laugh if you rode a giraffe,
Or mounted the back of an ox;
It's nobody's habit to ride on a rabbit,
Or tyr to bestraddle a fox,
But as for a camel, he's 
Ridden by families-
Any load does for me,
A snake is as round as a hole in the ground,

And no alligator could ever be straight
Than lizards that live in a creek;
But a camel's all lumpy,
And bumpy and humpy-
Any shape does for me.
                                           -Charles E. Carryl
                               [About Poem]
The poem establishes the camel's uniqueness by comparing it to various other creatures.