The Zoo

Perception is rarely reality, and almost never truth.

Ah, The Zoo.

Little fills children with such wonder,

Such excitement,

Such intrigue.

Strange animals,

Dangerous animals,

Terrifying animals,

All living together,

And all a mere ten feet away.

Oh, how I used to love the zoo.

But now,

Every time I see a zoo-ed animal-

Whether it be the adorable monkey,

The ferocious lion,

Or the performing sea-lion-

I can’t help but feel a weight.

One wrought of dread,

Nay, not dread-

But fear.

Not fear for their well-being;

They live lives where every meal is secured.

And not fear for safety;

They live conflict-free lives.

But fear that I’m not so different than they;

They live their lives-

Uncomplaining,

Unquestioning,

Accepting-

Because what reason have they not to?

A penguin in the zoo,

Has never seen a penguin not in a zoo.

He thinks his life the same,

As every other penguin in the world;

Because he hasn’t been presented another possibility.

But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Without another possibility put in front of him,

He must accept his current truth

As the only truth.

So,

Without another possibility in front of me,

Must I do the same?

Who’s to say I’m not in a cage,

Living in someone's zoo?

Author's Note

Not sure about the ending, as far as abruptness. I tried a few things, but more seemed to be too much, and lost all semblance of organization. Regardless, I thought this up after a visit to the zoo with a summer camp. A troubling possibility, yes, but only if you perceive it as such.

Reviews

[ROXANE DORSEY]

very nice poem thanks for sharing your talents.

[ROXANE DORSEY]

nice. thanks for your talents. keep up the fine work of art.

[barleygirl]

This is a brilliant point of view. I love it. I'm very much in favor of seeing animals as more than just a furry possession with no feelings or sense of how life should be. I was expecting this to go in a different direction, being more sympathetic to the caged animals -- and I did pick up on your sympathy, but it was more stated as sarcasm, I thought, suggesting that being in a cage might be a good thing in some ways. Finally, I love the way you brought it back around to humankind in the end, relating the animal observations to people's lives. Everything about your point of view is fresh & unexpected, which (to me) is the most important aspect of writing. First -- have a point of view. And that you definitely do have! *smile*

[Falcon1]

I love zoo life Some do better in the zoo environment than on the out side of the zoo.

[Vasilees Sybissyl]

Nope, the ending is not abrupt at all. This poem kind of reminds me of my lyrical prose, just way better. I could interpret the meaning very easily as you managed to convey the emotion with such beauty. I really enjoyed reading the poem. Though I maybe I would have enjoyed it better if it had a certain better rhythm to it. Get what I'm saying? Otherwise this was beautiful.

Love,
Vasilees.

[Crozby]

I do, and I am still working to figure this type of poetry out; I'm used to Iambic Pentameter, where the structure is what defines the poetry. Having free rein over the structure and rhythm is something new to me. Thank you for the kind words and advice.

[Vasilees Sybissyl]

It was my pleasure, sweetie!