Encased

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ENCASED


Not an elephant seal in sight,

and plenteous krill, 

but still the penguins huddle

in the back, facing the polar panorama

as if even a single twitch

would send the day-dream slipping

off the ice-caps, crashing through

the canvas and back in the enclosure.


There’s a toddler, too, 

at this exhibit, vaccinated 

into eternal life and turtle-necked 

against the chill. 


When no one’s looking 

he bangs on the glass 

with his toy knight, 

still brave enough to hope

the transparency will shatter,


or if he's not so lucky

for such a one-and-done

endeavor, than maybe—at least—

serve to negate his budding

suspicion that all this

is something less than the wild

he feels swelling within,

about to crash like an ice-cap.


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