Mammalian Paradox

The onlookers scanned the enclosure
in search of life
beyond the obvious
In silence
they waited for movement

Green of every shade imaginable
Coated every surface possible
Bathed by the quiet sun
tilting trees and bending bamboo
stretched toward the calm sky
while white water raced
down the slippery rocks
and settled together
in a green pool
Except for the stirring winds
the stream contained the only movement

A sudden snap makes the visitors
shift in their skin
A familiar face appears
through the tangled mess of green
to stare back at the observers
As the monkey stares at the humans
and the humans at the monkey
their features blur
Like two pieces of a puzzle
their differences paint the bigger picture