Pigeons waddled because their bodies were too heavy
for grace. And the children laughed and loved them.
An orange cat devoured lasagna while his eyelids
drooped, and the world adored him.
The koala slept and ate all day, so his belly was
soft. The zoo visitors were charmed.
Big and soft, sleepy and indulgent, the animals
delighted everyone.
But the tired auntie who smiled at the children and
couldn’t walk, was shunned by her nieces.
And the girl who carried the old people’s packages
avoided the pool. Some boys jeered at her hips.
The half-starved girl crammed herself into wee jeans.
The aerobics instructor praised her denial.
And so it went. The world blessed the animals for
their natural ways and cursed the people for theirs.
