They bought a zoo

They bought a zoo
Something to do
Run down worn out they
A family thought it
A good idea
Hoping it could pay
An inspirational speaker
A man held in regard
Who lost his wife soon after
Which was incredibly hard

Zoo’s come into conflict
With animals rights for sure
The philosopy of existence
Its just inside the door
Undeniably wild animals
Locked up everyday
Enduring our captivity
All along the way

Taken from their birthplace
And brought to England shores
To Dartmouth not a game park
But a zoo to no applause
In effect they saved the animals
The will was clearly there
Despite so little money
The family were aware

For me its hard to quantify
Wild souls under lock and key
Compared to where creation placed them
To fine their identity
As big cats or as other creatures
How surely can we say
By reducing down wild habitats
That we can provide a way

So they bought an ailing business
Which happens to be a zoo
20th century made a film
About them and what they do
Matt Damon gave his light and verve
And their story did unfold
Commanding a position
Worth its weight in gold

We feel all that tenacity
The connectedness of soul
The man is clearly in it
To be trying
And his role
Is embracing thought and candour
Is trying to do it right
Adding his own integrity
And hoping to invite

Fresh ideas and understanding
And a slice of harmony
Hoping to bring order
And his methodology
Into what is being seen
As eccentricity
Unnatural and aberrant
An intrusion into certainty

Surpassing and transcending
An animals actual space
It seems to be the question
Its something we must face
Wrong headed and unseeing
Prejudging maybe so
Come to the wrong conclusion
As to whether we all know

Right from wrong
And the inappreciation
Of it all
Competitiveness with visitors
Who are there to call
Out the power and wisdom
Of the big cats in their prime
Forced to take on those who feel
The need to try to climb

To compete against the wildness
As visitors who pay
£15 a go I think
To try and pull a way
To be ardent snd be powerful
To take on the big cats who
Are kings of the jungle
In everything they do

To me despite the footprint
The honorary regard
The story around all of this
And really how hard
It has been for the family
I have to say that I
Am disinclined to accept
The need
And the reasons why.