“Opal”

Empty eyes
That’s Opal
An Orangutan
And she
Has lived
For many many years
In fact in solitary
One of the loveliest primates
An arborial ape
Though she
Ended up with the Boswell
In a cage unfortunately
Boswell Wilke Circus
A family from long ago
Who ran a travelling circus
As a lot of people know

Boswell died in 2021
He also owned the zoo
And Opal has led a miserable life
in Natal Zoo where she
Has been punished sadly
Condemned to a life of hell
Abandoned and imprisoned
It’s been a flagrant spell

36 years her innocence
Ruled by improbity
Palm greasing nepotism
And chicanery
Manipulated sadly disingenuously
Given a life of injustice
And disloyalty

Suffering she’s been subject
To an inglorious life of pain
Heart ache and disrespect
Neglected and humiliated
No one really checked
Boswell was a circus man
For many many years
Wildness not in his time frame
That’s how it appears

Opal needs a social life
A family and some peace
And quiet
Some affection
A sanctuary
A beneficent place
A philanthropic atmosphere
A wild and slower pace

She has a pent up anger
A bitterness I am sure
Such wanton irritation
Deep down in her core
Resentful of her station
Embittered by it all
Absolutely infuriated
Her back against the wall

She so wants a touch of freedom
Some trees in fact to climb
To smell the air with fruit to spare
The romance of divine
Spirit it’s engaging
A real life love affair
Freedom to just be herself
Sociably aware

Petitions on social media
Are rampant seemingly
Cast a vote for Opal
For her present history
Help to make it happen
Help her to be free
From rotten rusty cages
She needs authenticity