Egyptian Sonnet (2) Poem by John Yau

A hippo sits patiently in a palm tree
while a hoopoe hops up a ladder
On desert's edge, far from oil lamps
a Slughi plays tag with jackals
a leopard herds gazelles and geese
with a jeweled flute, and a young lady rat,
sitting on a pearl throne, waits
for monkeys to slide forth their gifts
A lion and a fox visit a sick ibis
A hyena stops a goose from running
into its mouth, and panthers stand petrified
in front of a cat ambling toward the library
The first idol was a goddess
with a body of a hippopotamus