Tim GorskiPoetry and Art By Tim Gorski from All-Creatures.org



To Zoo or Not To Zoo

But is it right, can you tell?
They're there for us, for our delight
But is their life worth such a plight?

Is there education to gain
Or is it just a greedy game?
For every coin, every bill
Do we deserve to see them still?

And yet, a part of me wants to sway
To see the animals, put on display
To marvel at their strength and grace
To see them up close, face to face.

But then another part of me
Says, is it right, should it be?
To keep them locked up in a cage
For all their lives, from youth to old age.

And when they age, what then, my friend?
Do they meet a sorry end?
Auctioned off to sideshows grim
Or worse, canned hunts, a life so dim.

So ask yourself, before you go
Is it right to watch them so?
Perhaps we'd learn more from TV
And let the wild stay wild and free.

And yet, the conflict still remains
As I weigh pleasure against the pains
Of a captive life, no chance to roam
But still, it's hard to stay at home.

So let us ponder, let us think
Before we visit, let us blink
And ask ourselves, is it worth the fee
To see the wild in captivity?

zoo Bear

© Tim Gorski 2023

 

Go on to: Two Tigers - The Light
Return to Poetry By Tim Gorski
Read more at Animal Rights Poetry