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A zoo in my room

No author

A week after the man on TV said,

‘No going out until I say yes,’

(He looked important with his grey moustache and hair)

I was still on my couch;

And I had started talking to my mug

The one with a ‘Welcome to the Zoo!’

 

Then a sudden thought:

I could have a zoo in my room!

A monkey on the shelf,

Two squirrels in the closet

Three turtles in the sink,

Four geckos on the carpet

And ooooh, an elephant in my room too!

I will fill this room and turn it empty to full.

 

So, I called the zoo:

‘Can I loan a monkey, two squirrels, three turtles,

four geckos, and an elephant?’

They apologised in a robotic voice,

‘We are unable to receive your call,

due to the pandemic we aren’t open at all.’

 

I lay on my couch for another week

And started a conversation with the vacuum.

(The mug doesn’t talk very much)

What must I do? I need a zoo in my room!

 

Then I saw a mask on my desk, a sudden brilliant plan:

I could sneak into the zoo with the mask

Free an elephant and come out fast.

No one would see me under a mask,

No one would be there to ask!

 

I stole away at midnight

Under the flickering streetlight

Past the silent homes on the right

And that alley that is slightly tight

I was so afraid, but no one was in sight

Soon the zoo stood before me

I climbed up the fencing

Past the tigers, the otters, and the beavers

Past the bear, the owls, and the deers

 

Finally, I saw one elephant sitting on its own

He looked at me, eyes full of forlorn;

He was just like me alone and locked in.

I took a big pair of scissors and started cutting

The fence broke, and I set the elephant free.

 

We walked back to my room,

Right in the centre of the road.

I told him how happy I was

and how much I wanted to ride on a swing

He told me he had never seen a road so long or a building so tall

And he didn’t know what a swing was.

‘The world is pretty big,’ I said, ‘I am sorry, we can only be in my room,

but don’t worry I can tell you all about swings.’

 

When we arrived;

Under the silent stars we both fell asleep,

Me hugging his leathery skin.

My room now smaller but full

Not with a zoo, but with a friend.

Editors for A zoo in my room not yet setup.

New Beginnings is our third and final volume of 2020. It is also our longest yet, with close to 100 pieces having been sent in for review from over 80 writers. Additionally, this volume marks a step towards making our initiative even more inclusive, having opened submissions for art and photography, too.

2021 may not be the new beginning for which we are all hoping. In fact, it is likely that the world will stay largely the same. However, that doesn’t stop us doing what we can to make it a little better. In supporting and being involved in an initiative whose primary motivation is to build one another up, our team and readership have certainly proven to be committed to making positive change already.

First published by Ta Voix 2020