Zoo
I see the animals in the cages
beating their minds on the bars of iron.
The absurd king prowls in a province
of birds and grimaces at the simians.
Hairless simians, binding him in iron,
and his great brown eyes flew out like an eagle --
I see the animals in the cages
beating their minds on the bars of iron.
I looked too long at the mockable vulture,
his neck was crooked with the smell of zoo.
I saw through his pupil into the desert
and a sun that hung like God over carrion --
I see the animals in the cages,
all the animals look at me.
All through the halls of bars I wandered,
beating my mind on the meaning of iron.
Unspeakable thoughts were hanging in the cages
when the bells jumped out, and the people went free.
I see the animals in the cages
though I breathe the farlit fading sky.
Down the long sea of rods of iron
the people passed between annihilations,
like wall-eyed fish that pressed on Israel
the souls of animals close them in.
I saw the animals, three or four
beating their minds on the iron cages.
Their blood was roaming like fog on the river,
the silver river in the dark jungle;
their minds are wandering in the cages
down the silver river of wait.
I see the animals in the cages
beating their minds on the bars of iron.
copyright © 1998 Gordon Fitch