Zoo (Poetry)

The visitors peer in and point (a pair of eyes peep out,
curious to know what all the noise is all about),
PLEASE DO NOT FEED large on the cage, they crowd close to the bars
and flick a bit of sandwich in or half a fun-size Mars
to coax the animal to show its rare, endangered hide,
its wicked claws, sharp savage teeth and prove it's really wild.

The keeper smiles, he knows the score and caution rules OK,
instinctively the creature skulks and won't come out to play
until the queue moves off and only one or two remain,
patient in the peaceful lull, familiar with this game,
as slowly, inch by spotted inch, the ocelot appears,
furtive from its flicking tail up to its flattened ears,

then gives the benefit of its most penetrating stare
to dedicated zoo-watch types discretely lurking there.
The cat, disdainful, sniffs the scraps, yawns and turns away,
its wrinkling nose more eloquent than words could ever say:
untamed, aloof, untouchable - its spirit roaming free
beyond the concrete limits of protective custody.