Morning at the Zoo

Walking the chimp exhibit
Making sure they can’t escape
As dawn breathes on the horizon
And morning starts to break

Wind rustles the trees
And squirrels scatter undergrowth
But off in the distance
Make sure you listen real close

Noble roars take the air
As the lions announce their presence
They need to make sure all know:
On these acres, they take precedence

The chirping yips of painted dogs on the hunt
Chatter giddily as they enjoy their breakfast and lunch
Then the crowned cranes call out like a horn
As they wait for their little hatchling to be born

Across the lagoon,
A silver-cheeked hornbill laughs out
As red ruffled lemurs rebuttal from long snouts

The cheetahs chirp,
calling for their brother
They’d been separated a moment
So they don’t steal food from each other

An elephant cries out
in response to a keeper
And the hippo wheeze-honks
As the pool fills deeper

Such a special magic
Before the guests arrive
As the zoo world wakes
And morning calls breech the skies

I grab my gear
Head off the exhibit
And the chimps all start hooting in excitement

The weather is warming
It’s nice enough, they can go out
No more seasonal depression
Holding keeper and animal in pout

The all clear is called
The chimps are off to seize the day
Hooting and running
To see what forage we’ve laid

Good morning from the zoo
And every animal in our care
If you haven’t been in a while
Come on over. We’ve lots to share