Zoo Day (Revisited)

Dad loads red
Radio Flyer wagon,
sissies' double stroller into
Rambler
Mom packed picnic basket
baloney sandwiches on rye,
fruit, cookies, bag of Jet-Puffed marshmallows.

Marshmallows not for us.

Anticipation growing closer.
Parking lot father parks,
brother and I run ahead,
down
pedestrian underpass, echoes of young boys voices.
Concrete cast boulders
architectural feature throughout.

Play among the rocks.

Parents emerge from tunnel, dad pulling
food laden wagon,
mom pushing sissies' stroller,
turnstiles, large banner
BROOKFIELD ZOO.

Baboons' red butts,
piles of elephant poo, rhinos
peeing backwards
seeing people too close get doused.

Theme developing. Educational. Bugging dad mercilessly
for money for
Mold-A-Ramas.

Late lunch picnic playground,
feeding giraffes.
In those days,
mom opens marshmallows
giraffes stick out impossibly long tongues,
wrap them around marshmallows
take them from our hands.

Try this today, park rangers authorized
to shove flaming sugar
you know where.

Many years ago, I became a parent,
Brookfield Zoo members
Zoo classes for boys before official opening.
Wife and I stroll grounds
no one else around.

Habitat Africa
Savannah House.
Mother giraffe, newborn.
Mother eyes us curiously
Wife tells her what a beautiful baby she has.

Mother giraffe gently nudges him
up to the rail
in front of us.
We fawn over calf
mother nods her elegant neck,
every bit the proud parent.

Communication between species. (One of the most)
amazing
                        experiences
of my life.

Recollections brought on
wife posts a story,
last wish of man dying, cancer,
mentally retarded, disabled, handicapped, challenged,
worked many years Diergaarde Blijdorp Zoo
Rotterdam,
Holland.

54 year old man, goes by name of Mario,
requests his bed be taken
into
enclosure of his beloved giraffes.

Kees Veldboer, founder
Ambulance Wish Foundation
"It's very special to see those animals
recognize him,
sense he isn't doing well."

One approaches Mario,
reaches down,
tenderly kisses him on lips.

Mario, speaking very difficult.

"However, his face spoke volumes.
A very special moment.
You saw him beaming," said Veldboer.

Naysayers will attempt to
write it off
animal only looking for food,
performing
instinctive behavior.

But that's not how it looks to me.