May we never know a wonderless world

Today’s prompt challenged us to write a poem in which we take our title or some language/ideas from The Strangest Things in the World. First published in 1958, the book gives shortish descriptions of odd natural phenomena, and is notable for both its author’s turn of phrase and intermittently dubious facts. I took a line from the preface “Man will never know a wonderless world”, adapted it for my title and used that as my spur.

As long as the sun illuminates our knowledge and before darkness extends that final sleep,
May we never stop wondering.

So long as the pocket mouse sleeps, and sleeps and sleeps undisturbed by nuisance,
May we never stop wondering.

As long as 100-eyed worms can self-shatter into a host of replicated selves and live,
May we never stop wondering.

So long as ticks’ knees can sniff the bouquet of red roses in May,
May we never stop wondering

As long children are awed at the touch of fossil shells on the snow-covered peak of Snowdon,
May we never stop wondering.

So long as miniature golden frogs sleep in pineapple water beds and grunt like pigs,
May we never stop wondering.

As long as we search skies for huge, pink-breasted pigeon serpents, despite extinction,
May we never stop wondering.

So long as choirs of Howler Monkeys chaunt the spirits of long-dead reptile banshees,
May we never stop wondering.

As long as the bamboozling Platypus take to the oaks and sunbathes like us,
May we never stop wondering.

So long as our life is not the paradox to end all lives,
May we never stop wondering.

And may we never stop wandering

And never stop the wondering.