THE CITY ZOO
I go reluctantly
I go to the zoo a hopeful wanting to gather spirit be held in the wild
Hold a growl in my chest to collect a bit of wild cat
Fold into its skin walk in its place
I am lonely left with but a whimper of the real and I know it
Like I know when a rattler is ready to strike and I have fallen into silence so it knows I am not a danger
It is love hate
Love the animals and hate their existence, the thievery of their instinct
The loss of their direct knowing rubs my flesh like road rash fallen from a motorcycle
I am skidding naked on pavement
I go wishing to collect a memory of substantial awareness that knife-edge on a high wire
Balance held in perfect rhythm between fear and the excitement of aliveness
So I came away angry, disappointed
I won’t let myself be a dispassionate observer
Distance myself in superiority
You see I know I am not above them
I know this like I know the girth of power between my legs on a horse
The free spirit of a wild dolphin swimming by my side
I know this in my gut
I have been there running parallel with a black bear
Tears and anger mix
Sorrow and dynamite
At the city zoo
What I want I can’t have it was stolen long ago by humans that build cages
DINO DELANO
