Who is Really the Smarter of the Two?

Of the two of us who sit in the zoo
who is really the smarter of the two?
Is it you looking in or me looking out?
It’s certainly not me, surrounded by great walls
my spirit born free but body contained.
It’s certainly not me being awakened by alarms
so early in the morn before God’s great sunrise.
It’s certainly not me slowly roaming my cage
not worried about safety or survival.
It’s certainly not me, fed three meals a day
never wanting for shelter or care.

Who is really the smarter of the two?
My body and mind may be confined to the zoo
but my heart is still true to Nature and God.
It’s man’s great ignorance that has kept me in the zoo
he’s really not the smarter of the two.

Poetry and Art by Patricia Walter 1998 ©