The Gorila
I see strength and I see majesty,
In their carriage and demeanor,
And I see degrees of dignity,
In their animal behavior.
I know there lies behind those eyes
Intelligence ... untapped,
Which humans fail to recognize,
When, like common beasts, they're trapped.
They beat their chests in anger,
In frustration and in pain,
They're aware of human danger,
And that all humans aren't humane.
They are not jokesters or comedians,
No matter how men laugh,
They are not here to entertain man,
Nor pose for photographs.
There's a gentle heart within each breast,
Which belies both strength and size,
And, like all creatures, they are blest,
By their Creator from on high.
At the rate that man is going,
They won't be here too long,
Man, so good at his destroying,
Man, so good at doing wrong.
~ Virginia Ellis ~