Tuesday Poem - Wildlife by Nathan Curnow

Wildlife

for Alexis

She leads me into the worn out wildlife park

where all the kookaburras care to say is ‘lol’.

Brown kangaroos remain slumped upon the green

like used teabags on a kitchen sink.

Alligators dreaming of their glory days

as stars on Miami Vice refuse to move until

they score a bit-part, one that’s bound to cost an arm and a leg.

While the Aldabra tortoise munches on salad

as it’s done for a hundred years, the great vegetarian 

who has never thought to demand anything more of lettuce.

My girl skips and charges, fierce and innocent,

we come to this park every week.

She confronts the big reds—as buff as steroid users

who could kick the shit out of Olympians.

Singing her ABCs at the top of her voice

as emus beat box by, the lop-dop of a well-drum,

a billabong hidden somewhere inside their throats.

And the Burmese python who waits for us

inside the Reptile House, does nothing when we arrive

because it’s shed its skin and need do nothing again for weeks.

She gallops into darkness, past the whiptail lizard,

chameleons barely roll their eyes, the hog nose snake

forever smirking at her nostrils spread flat on the glass.

Then she turns the corner, finally stops, there is a girl

up ahead with her mum, the shock of a creature

the same age and height, they stare.

She backs into my legs.

This poem comes from the excellent joint book (with Kevin Brophy) called Radar.
It's available from :

http://walleahpress.com.au/garradunga/?tcp_product=product-one