Use Your Voice! Poem by Elayne Ogbeta

Use Your Voice
by Elayne Ogbeta

There's a very quiet monkey
Who's been playing on his own.
Everyone's ignoring him
As he sits sweetly all alone.

Now everyone around him
Keeps grabbing all the toys—
So what are you going to do, Monkey?
You'd better USE YOUR VOICE!

You'd better use your voice, Monkey,
So go on, speak out loud!
Everyone has to express themselves—
So stand up and be proud!

There's a baby flamingo
Who doesn't like being small.
She's feeling so invisible
Because everyone is tall.

But a cheeky little monkey
Is about to make a silly choice—
So what are you going to do, Flamingo?
You'd better USE YOUR VOICE!

You'd better use your voice, Flamingo,
So go on, speak out loud!
Everyone has to express themselves—
So stand up and be proud!

A shy and retreating lion,
Who's been scavenging for food,
Is feeling extremely hungry
And not in a good mood.

Then luckily he finds his prey—
But the vultures move in with their crafty ploys!
So what are you going to do, Lion?
You'd better USE YOUR VOICE!

You'd better use your voice, Lion,
So go on, speak out loud!
Everyone has to express themselves—
So stand up and be proud!

There's a lonely, lanky giraffe
Who went off for a little roam.
But now he's feeling rather lost
And can't find his way home.

He's starting to get nervous,
His wobbling legs have lost their poise—
So what are you going to do, Giraffe?
You'd better USE YOUR VOICE!

You'd better use your voice, Giraffe,
So go on, speak out loud!
Everyone has to express themselves—
So stand up and be proud!

There's a group of fleeting gazelles
Who leap and shout all day.
They're jumping, thumping, stomping feet—
And won't let others play.

But one timid little gazelle
Can't take the endless noise—
So what are you going to do, Gazelle?
You'd better USE YOUR VOICE!

You'd better use your voice, Gazelle,
So go on, speak out loud!
Everyone has to express themselves—
So stand up and be proud!

So let's repeat this message,
All you lovely girls and boys—
What are you going to do if someone
Takes away your joys?
You'd better USE YOUR VOICE!