fanny fern fern leaves

Sister Giraffe-
the most heavy-hearted of all the animals-
the weight of sorrow in your basketball-sized heart
presses your hooves into the scorched earth.

But still, sister, still-
your soul's long neck
keeps stretching up to hope.

(*What is wonderful to be reminded of is that the zoo is full of both sisters and useless animal trivia. Useless unless you write poetry and are intrigued by the random workings of mammalian cardiology. We were told on the Zoo Train that giraffes have the highest blood pressure of any mammal- the blood has a long way to go- and their hearts weigh about twenty-five pounds. But you'd never know it watching them eat their dainty leaves from the nose-bleed section of the trees.)

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