Cradling Little Crocodiles [revised] Poem by Margaret Alice Second

The joy of watching the ‘Gator Boys’ cradling
little crocodiles destroyed by angry elephants
trampling foolish foreign visitors to Africa; the
joy of reading about mother tongue beauty in
Lullaby For Liefstetjie, replaced by tragedy -
soul-destroying death of 9 year old Elvandré
from the Northern Cape

German magazines I read reporting celebrity
lives with ghoulish indulgence in their affairs
improves vocabulary, but I detest this kind of
news and firmly feel the paparazzi should be
shot on sight; I don’t care what the Queen of
England had for tea or who got divorced or
bereaved or was recently killed

Today would have been lost if it were not for
bonhomie of Guy’s boisterous Triple D - this
flavoured food delicious; now time to turn off
the lights - thankful for rain - hoping to sleep
tonight; wishing to exchange present reality
for another universe existing in the dark
behind my eyes

[26 October 2013]