By Andrew R. Duckworth
There’s an Okapi standing feet away
From my balcony at Kidani Village,
Grazing on some fresh plants
Thrown to it by a keeper.
I’ve always admired the animal,
Thought it was strange.
When you see it, you know it.
How can you not?
A giraffe relative
With the back legs of a zebra.
Interesting and unique.
But perhaps the most unique thing
About the Okapi is that we regard
It as unique.
The giraffe - magnificent,
The tall mammal of the savannah.
Unique? Perhaps, but not quite so
As the Okapi.
Something about the Okapi strikes
The eye like a lightning strike
In a tropical storm laden sky.
You can’t help but look at it,
Whether you love it or hate it.
Poetry and Essays of Andrew Ryan Duckworth 