the giraffes
at the dallas zoo
are dying

a lifetime spent
in captivity

summer tenaciously
claws at
random days of the week
even as we fall back
into darkness
earlier and earlier
grabbing hoodies
shivering in the night

as the giraffes
die off at the zoo
from liver failure

the men stomp
down the sidewalk
into the store
out with a twelve pack
stomping back
to head home
after a week spent
in captivity
trading one cage
for another with
a slightly better view
determined to make
the most of the weekend

no stray thought
given to the giraffes
awaiting liver biopsies
or the frightened calves
moved to a new enclosure
given new food

the planet is a zoo
but i find myself
caring more about
the dead giraffes
than the walking dead
shuffling around me

a lifetime spent
in captivity

and no one knows why
we are dying