PalaeoPoems

Frozen Mammoths by John Stuart Blackie

Frozen Mammoths - by John Stuart Blackie This excerpt from "A Song of Geology" is an evocative tale of finding frozen mammoth remains in icy Siberia. This verse reflects the mid-1800s push to find frozen mammoths and study them. Guest artwork by Ida Kalsta

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The Giant Birds of Old by Anon.

The Giant Birds of Old - by Anon. This poem by an anonymous tutor was written about the same fossil trackways featured in "The Sandstone Bird" by Edward Hitchcock, but with a much lighter tone. Guest artwork by Erin Bethell

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The Megatherium by J. V. von Scheffel

The Megatherium - by Joseph Victor von Scheffel, translated by Charles G. Leland This moralizing poem is about the dangers of acting like a giant ground sloth. Don't be slow or lazy and you won't go extinct. Guest artwork by Zélie.

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Gingko Fossil Tea by Susannah Lydon & Robin Lamboll

Gingko Fossil Tea by Susannah Lydon & Robin Lamboll Ginkgo Fossil Tea was written as part of a project called Experimental Words. It brought together ten scientists and ten poets, over a few months in early 2021, to produce a “high-energy collision of science and spoken word." Guest artwork by Madison Foran.

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The Unpetrified Forest by Margaret Matthew Colbert

The Unpetrified Forest - by Margaret Matthew Forest Margaret wrote this poem to accompany a mural she painted based on the Triassic fauna of Petrified Forest National Park. Guest artwork by Brigid Christison.

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Untitled by George Mercer Dawson

Untitled - by George Mercer Dawson Another Victorian poem full of drama and melancholy! This poem from a famous early Canadian geologist is about fossil shells and ancient oceans. Guest artwork by Dr. Hillary Maddin

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Fossil Fish & Fossil Fish Addressed by Robert Dick

Fossil Fish & Fossil Fish Addressed - by Robert Dick These two poems were written by Robert Dick about the palaeontology near Thurso, Scotland. Robert was a baker and part-time naturalist, who was an expert in the geology and botany of Caithness. Guest artwork by Athena at Sea to Sky Jewlry Co.

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How to Kill a Cockroach & Limerick for Loxolophus by Jay Artemis Hull

How to Kill a Cockroach & Limerick for Loxolophus - by Jay Artemis Hull These poems were inspired by murals in the Michigan State University Museum’s Hall of Evolution. Later they were a part of a fossil poetry workshop developed by Jay themself. Guest artwork by Katrin Emery.

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Observation to a Whail by Julia Pepper

Observation to a Whail - by Julia Pepper In the mid-1800s, a beluga skeleton was dug up, near Charlotte, Vermont. This was a source of wonder for the locals, and quickly became an attraction at the State House. Julia Pepper wrote this poem in honour of the whale. Guest artwork by John Meszaros.

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The Joy and Sorrow of the Olden Times by J. V. von Scheffel

Die Lust und Leid aus Alter Zeit - by Joseph Victor von Scheffel This German geologist drinking song features many of the most famous fossils of the 1800s, all engaged in indulgent and apparently deplorable behaviour. None survive until the end of the poem. Guest artwork by Katrin Emery.