In the aviary, brilliance of a blue
peacock pheasant next to the small
lorikeet. The heat’s constant hum
and white flash above low buildings.
Throughout the grounds, in their
solitary spaces, the meerkats
and sloth bears loll on their sides.
Who placed the empty Pampers boxes
next to the hollowed-out log?
In the shallow pool, Caribbean
flamingoes tip their heads into water,
turning their bills into cups.
There are tigers somewhere behind
the glassed-in enclosure. There is
a lion lying in the yellow dust
beside a stone pillar, sadder
than the white flowers on the vine,
that open their throats only once a year.