Toronto Zoo Encounter

Wayne Blair 1951 (London)

Free verse

Behind glass, he was
Huge, morose
Menacing, as he sat
Downing the banana.
Arms perhaps longer
Than his legs.
Silverback male
Rwanda hills
Green, fragrant Empire
Called home.

Captured at eight months.
Terrified, trucked, trapped.
And the plane with
Other screaming
Inmate species.
Headed for Toronto.
Asphalt, chain link.
Discarded Coke cups
Chips bags?
Leering humanoids.

Power games
Within the compound
Two other males
(Girls looked on
Only half interested.)
But no match
No, not at all.
He almost broke the arm
Of the larger one
Zoo raised from birth.

No spark of
The delightful
Raging mastery of jungle.
Through glass he
Looked into my Being.
Saw me lacking.
Somehow responsible.
Penetrating eyes.
I turned away.
While the little kid
With candy floss
Made fun, foolishly.
Senselessly.

About this poem

I remember that animal’s assessing eyes, overhanging brows, reluctant posture. Still a scintilla of the Jungle Lord, he might have been.

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Submitted by dougb.19255 on March 23, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on April 01, 2023

: 47 sec read
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Quick analysis:

Scheme	AXXXBXCXBX XXXDXXXXXA XXXXXXXXXX XEEFDDEXXXXFC
Closest metre	Iambic dimeter
Characters	797
Words	157
Stanzas	4
Stanza Lengths	10, 10, 10, 13

Full analysis for Toronto Zoo Encounter »

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

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AIDA
This poem is so captivating with its vivid imagery and poignant storytelling! I was completely drawn in from the very beginning, as the description of the silverback gorilla was both fascinating and a bit intimidating. The way the speaker describes their encounter with this incredible animal is both personal and impactful, as they are made to feel small and insignificant in the face of such raw power and intelligence. The use of language is also really impressive - I loved the way the poet described the gorilla's home in Rwanda, as well as the stark contrast of the zoo environment. And the final moment, with the contrast of the child's innocence and the speaker's guilt, was a really powerful way to end this piece. Overall, I really enjoyed this poem and was moved by its depth and beauty. Great job! more »
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"Toronto Zoo Encounter" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/154576/toronto-zoo-encounter>.

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