The Gorilla

Great beast of such beauty
Massive frame – huge shoulders
So much strength
And yet a gentleness
That man would do well to learn
Those sad, lonely eyes
Hiding such hurt
If only you could speak to us
What wisdom would we hear
Taken by force and at what cost
From the jungle of your birth
To this, the concrete home you despise
Only you know the pain you endured
Wrenched from the arms of the mother who died
The only love you ever knew was lost forever
And now, here you are, an attraction
Something to be observed, laughed at
But always the longing for the wide open spaces
The companionship and comfort
Of others like you who understand you
And know the secrets of your past

Judy Binns Nemeth