The little rap on gratitude.

It was early one morning as the sun slowly rose, Grateful Monkey stretched and wiggled his toes. The sun was greeting the leaves of each tree, Monkey sighed softly, "How extraordinary." He breathed in the moment, the soft golden air, He noticed light dance and felt wind in his hair. He didn't yet know what the day had in store, But he loved this moment, and needed no more.

Down by the stream he saw Grouchy Snapper, Mumbling away like a practicing rapper. "This water's too cold! And this rock won't bend!" Monkey called down to him, "Good morning my friend!" "What's good about mornings?" Snapper replied. Monkey smiled gently and swung to his side. "I can see you're grouchy, but look all around, As the world wakes up, it's truly profound." Snapper blinked once, his frown lost some weight, And mumbled, "Well maybe, but it's not that great." "Look at this stream," Monkey said with a sigh, "The ripples look gold when the sun's in the sky." Snapper rolled his eyes and turned away, "It's no use, Monkey, my mood's here to stay." Monkey chuckled, "I wouldn't change a thing, Your mood is partly what gives you your zing! But when that lens makes life feel too tough, Remember you can shift your gaze, just enough. Look for one thing, however small, That reminds you the world's not that bad at all." With a grumble and sigh, Snapper swam away, Leaving Monkey to soak in the beauty of the day.

When suddenly, SLOSH! The water stirred And Hippo surfaced, looking most disturbed. His nostrils flared, his face turned red, "I've had ENOUGH!" Angry Hippo said. "This isn't fair, I'm the biggest one here! And yet no one says I'm the one they hold dear." Monkey nods, "Yes, that feeling can sting. When we feel unseen, it can shake everything. But maybe their love isn't gone or concealed, Maybe they're waiting, just letting you feel?" Hippo frowned but calmed his roar, So Monkey went on a little more: "Sometimes it helps, when things feel wrong, To notice what still feels constant and strong. The sun feels hot, the ground feels steady, Your heart feels freer, the weight less heavy." Hippo sighed, a deep solemn sound, He noticed his breath as it stroked the ground.

And just like that, Grateful Monkey could see, How gratitude sets a lot of things free. The ripples shimmered, the breeze drifted by, A hush of gold beneath the sky. Grateful Monkey whispered, soft but clear, "There's always enough, right now, right here. When we find small things that make us feel full, Even darker moments lose their pull. The world isn't perfect, it never will be, But there's also beauty in what we can't see. Life has ups and downs, that's true, But gratitude softens how we see things too. We feel the lows to know the highs, And then gratitude helps our spirits rise."