King of the Jungle No More

Inhale… exhale
The tiger’s huffing breath
Keeps time with the soft thud of its paws on the cold cement
Small children gawk,
Their faces pressed against the streaked window
Watching the massive, majestic creature,
With its muscles rippling under fiery orange
Cameras flash like lightning
Hoping to capture an image –

But the tiger takes no notice
Its golden eye focuses on the floor
It paces back and forth, back and forth
Trying to forget the world…

Maggie Smith