Redundant Circles Never Leading Anywhere

A hint of green is enough

to excite my feet rapidly into motion,

wind rippling through my fur

For a moment, I feel alive

The thrill dies in a few short strides

as I’m met with bars, a gate, a fence, a wall

A trap I can’t seem to escape

Déjà vu, every damn day

My life defined, enclosed,

by the men who built my narrow bars,

selling tickets so children could see

the sad remnants of my caged life

I pace in desperation,

my life reduced to redundant circles

never leading me anywhere

Despite the illusion of comfort,

my body knows that trapped

is not where I belong

Written March 2020, in collaboration with Zach Freidhof as the song, The Zoo