Expendable

Could not get my mind off the little giraffe who was killed and fed to the lions. I thought of all beings and all people who are considered "surplus" and thus expendable according to some control freak or megalomaniac's plan. Fat people are on many people's "surplus" lists.



Marius, I would have been so happy
to welcome you to my backyard.
The neighbors would have gawked,
but in time perhaps they would have
gotten accustomed to your happy
lanky giraffiness or giraffitude
and when you beamed your large giraffey
eyes on them, they would have
decided that you were some kind
of neighborhood mascot or media stunt
and would have focused on some other
unsuburblike incursion.

I would have been happy
to feed you giraffe foods
and talk to you in giraffe language
half the night
as you ran around hooking up
with trees and grass
and mowed or mossy lawns.

I would have shown you
the tastiest tidbits of bark and seeds
and all the herbs and vines
lurking about in the yard.
I would have left water for you to drink
near your head
so that you would not have to splay your legs
to reach it.

And Marius,
I would have shown  giraffe friends
On the TV or on my screen
So that you knew your species folk.

Marius,
your giraffe spirit lives
in all the acacia vines
and the seeds that they leave.
Let those who took you
live without greening.
They are the surplus
Their hate breeds only hate.
Our anger
feeds, unexpected,
on love we could not have guessed.

Time and tide will prove the wiser.